Squints Optical
Squints Optical is a privately held Canadian optometry and optical retailer operating two stores in London, Ontario, offering custom designer eyeglasses, contact lenses, comprehensive OCT-based eye exams, and in-house lens fabrication to general consumers and families.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLondon, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Squints Optical does
Squints Optical is a privately held Canadian optometry and optical retail business founded in 2012 in London, Ontario. The company operates two physical retail locations—one street-level at 534 Oxford Street W (Oxford & Wonderland) and one inside White Oaks Mall at 1105 Wellington Road—serving general consumers and families in the London, Ontario catchment seeking vision correction, designer eyewear, contact lenses, and comprehensive eye exams. Core products include over 1,300 pairs of designer frames (brands such as Ray Ban, Coach, Michael Kors, Prada, Polo, Balenciaga, Mont Blanc, Bottega Veneta, Gant, Givenchy, and Modo) plus more than 150 children's frames, a full range of soft and hard contact lenses from major suppliers (Acuvue, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, Coopervision), and customized lenses (Single Vision, Progressive, Bifocal, Trifocal, Anti-fatigue, and Office) with specialty coatings (Blue-light Filter, multi-layer anti-reflective, oil-repellent, UV protective, anti-static, anti-scratch) and 1.74 high-index plastics.
The business model combines professional services revenue (comprehensive eye exams including OCT imaging performed by licensed optometrist Dr. Filipa, a University of Waterloo Doctor of Optometry graduate with a completed pediatric fellowship) with one-time product sales (designer eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses) and ancillary service revenue (in-house adjustments and repairs). Custom eyewear measurement, manufacturing, and fitting is performed in-house, as is lens fabrication for specialty prescriptions. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customer acquisition relies on physical retail foot traffic (with the mall location capturing extended-hours and weekend demand), online appointment booking via squints.ca, and organic social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.
The company has no disclosed funding, no disclosed headcount beyond the named optometrist, no parent company, and no public financial reporting. It has been recognized as the Number 1 Optometry Clinic in London, Ontario by the Top Choice Awards, and operates a charitable 'Help the World See' program that redistributes donated eyeglasses to third-world countries. Geographic footprint is single-city; there is no evidence of e-commerce, multi-city expansion, or institutional partnerships.
Squints Optical firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Squints Optical
- Legal name
- Squints Optical
- Website
- https://squints.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Squints Optical is a privately held Canadian optometry and optical retailer operating two stores in London, Ontario, offering custom designer eyeglasses, contact lenses, comprehensive OCT-based eye exams, and in-house lens fabrication to general consumers and families.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Squints Optical industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Optical Retail and Optometry Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Optometrists (62132), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA), Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL), Vision & Ophthalmic Diagnostic Centers (Optometry/OCT/Retinal Imaging) (HLAFAKAI), Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Devices (Frames, Lenses, Lens Edging/Finishing Equipment) (HLAHAJAD), Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions) (HLAHAJAE)
Keywords
Where Squints Optical is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Squints Optical business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Eye Exams: Comprehensive eye exams including OCT imaging performed by licensed optometrist Dr. Filipa (Waterloo university graduate with pediatric fellowship). Revenue from exam fees.
- Eyeglasses Sales: Sale of designer frames and prescription lenses. Carries over 1300 pairs of glasses and sunglasses with designer brands including Ray Ban, Coach, Michael Kors, Prada, Polo, Balenciaga, Modo, Mont Blanc, Bottega Veneta, Gant, Givenchy. Also carries 150+ children's frames.
- Contact Lenses Sales: Sale of soft and hard contact lenses including wide variety of colours from major suppliers.
- Adjustments and Repairs: In-house eyewear adjustments and repairs service.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Squints Optical product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Squints Optical is an independent optometry clinic that sells custom designer eyeglasses and sunglasses (1,300+ frames and 150+ children's frames), a full range of soft and hard contact lenses from major suppliers, and custom prescription lenses (Single Vision, Progressive, Bifocal, Trifocal, Anti-fatigue, Office) with specialty coatings. The clinic also delivers comprehensive eye exams with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging performed by a licensed optometrist, certified contact lens fittings, in-house eyewear adjustments and repairs, and a charitable 'Help the World See' eyewear donation program.
Product overview
Squints Optical is an optical retail business offering a unified suite of eyewear products and services. The core offerings include custom designer eyeglasses and sunglasses (over 1300 pairs with brands like Ray Ban, Coach, Michael Kors, Prada, and more, plus 150+ children's frames), contact lenses (soft and hard types from Acuvue, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, and Coopervision), and custom lens fabrication (Single Vision, Progressive, Bifocal, Trifocal, Anti-fatigue, and Office lenses with various coatings). Services include full eye exams with OCT scanning by licensed optometrists, in-house adjustments and repairs, and a charitable 'Help the World See' program. The company operates two locations in London, Ontario.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Designer Eyeglasses and Sunglasses Custom designer eyeglass and sunglass frames (over 1,300 adult pairs plus 150+ children's frames) from brands including Ray Ban, Coach, Michael Kors, Prada, Polo, Balenciaga, Modo, Mont Blanc, Bottega Veneta, Gant and Givenchy, for individual consumers in London, Ontario.
- Contact Lenses Full range of soft and hard contact lenses including dailies, bi-weeklies, monthlies, permanent lenses and colored options, from suppliers Acuvue, Alcon, Bausch & Lomb and Coopervision; fitted by certified contact lens fitters for individual consumers.
- Comprehensive Eye Exams with OCT Imaging Full comprehensive eye examinations including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scans, performed by licensed optometrist Dr. Filipa, available at both London, Ontario locations for individual consumers including children.
- Custom Prescription Lenses Custom fabricated prescription lenses including Single Vision, Progressive, Bifocal, Trifocal, Anti-fatigue and Office designs, with polarized, transitions, tinted, safety and highest-index 1.74 plastic options, plus coatings such as Blue-light Filter, multi-layer anti-reflective, Oilaphobic, UV protective, Anti-Static and multi-layer scratch resistant.
Companies that use Squints Optical
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Squints Optical technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Squints Optical partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Third-world Countries (Help the World See Program)minorCharitable eyewear donation program sending glasses to third-world countries where people cannot afford vision correction. Also fundraises for organizations supporting local opticians making eyewear for the less fortunate. Accepts donated old pairs of glasses.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Squints Optical competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BonLook: Canadian eyewear retailer offering prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses online with growing physical presence — comparable DTC-plus-retail model targeting similar fashion-conscious Canadian eyewear consumers.
- Clearly: Canadian-headquartered online eyewear and contact lens retailer (formerly clearlycontacts.ca) competing in the same prescription eyewear and contact lens categories as Squints, with overlapping customer segment.
- Hakim Optical: Long-standing Canadian optical retail chain with multiple stores across Ontario, offering designer eyewear, eye exams, and contact lenses — directly comparable to Squints Optical's product mix, customer base, and Canadian market focus.
Emerging players
- Oscar Wylee: Australian optical retail chain that has begun expanding into Canada, combining eye exams with designer eyewear at value price points — a comparable boutique optometry-plus-retail model.
- Warby Parker: Direct-to-consumer eyewear brand with home try-on and growing retail footprint, including Canadian operations; competes on price, brand experience, and convenience versus independents like Squints Optical.
- Bailey Nelson: Australian-founded eyewear retailer with stores in Canada, offering in-house designed frames, eye exams, and contact lenses — comparable boutique optical retail model with a designer-fashion positioning similar to Squints.
Broad incumbents
- Pearle Vision: Established North American optical retail brand with franchise locations, offering eye exams, designer frames, and contact lenses — overlapping offering and customer base as a broader incumbent in Canadian optical retail.
- LensCrafters: International optical retail chain (EssilorLuxottica) with Canadian mall-based locations offering designer eyewear, on-site eye exams, and contact lenses — competes for the same mall-foot-traffic customer but at much larger scale.
- Specsavers: Global optometry chain that has expanded into Canada, combining eye exams with on-site eyewear dispensing at scale — directly comparable service model to Squints Optical but with international scale and buying power.
Others
- EssilorLuxottica: Global eyewear conglomerate that manufactures many of the designer brands Squints carries (Ray-Ban, Oakley, Prada, etc.) and operates LensCrafters and Pearle Vision — comparable as a key supplier and indirect competitor setting the competitive landscape.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Squints Optical social profiles
Digital presenceSquints Optical financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Squints Optical leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Squints Optical funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Squints Optical M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Squints Optical
What does Squints Optical do?
Squints Optical is an independent optometry clinic that sells custom designer eyeglasses and sunglasses (1,300+ frames and 150+ children's frames), a full range of soft and hard contact lenses from major suppliers, and custom prescription lenses (Single Vision, Progressive, Bifocal, Trifocal, Anti-fatigue, Office) with specialty coatings. The clinic also delivers comprehensive eye exams with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging performed by a licensed optometrist, certified contact lens fittings, in-house eyewear adjustments and repairs, and a charitable 'Help the World See' eyewear donation program.
Is Squints Optical a public or private company?
Squints Optical is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Squints Optical founded?
Squints Optical was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Squints Optical based?
Squints Optical is headquartered in London, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Squints Optical make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Eye Exams are the primary driver. The others are eyeglasses Sales, contact Lenses Sales and adjustments and Repairs.
Who are Squints Optical's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BonLook, Clearly and Hakim Optical. Emerging players are Oscar Wylee, Warby Parker and Bailey Nelson. Broad incumbents are Pearle Vision, LensCrafters and Specsavers. EssilorLuxottica is listed as an others.
Does Squints Optical have an API?
No public API is recorded for Squints Optical.
What industry is Squints Optical in?
Squints Optical's product category is Optical Retail and Optometry Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAKAB, Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care), with a secondary code of HLAKAKAA, Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care. Its NAICS code is 62132 and its SIC code is 3851.