Lessons to learn from online contact lens retailers

Diversify your product catalog

Contact lenses, similar to other eyewear, come in many varieties to suit different vision requirements and personal preferences. Daily disposable lenses make up nearly 79% of all UK contact lens sales. The market includes different designs and materials created for specific prescriptions – single-vision lenses correct nearsightedness and farsightedness, toric lenses address astigmatism, while multifocal or progressive options help people with multiple vision issues.

Therefore, online retailers must offer a diverse product catalog to capture as many segments of the target market as possible. This is best exemplified by Vision Direct, which sorts its product selection by type, wear time, and top brands like Acuvue, Biofinity, and MyDay. Since contact lenses are typically used with other eye care products to maintain comfort, safety, and hygiene, its website has dedicated sections to eye drops and contact lens solutions. Overall, eCommerce businesses, even those outside of the eyewear industry, must have a deep understanding of consumer needs and segments to determine the range of products and services to offer online.

Streamline the ordering and shipping processes

Because in-person purchases still make up a significant portion of total contact lens sales, online retailers must step up their efforts to ensure their products are highly convenient and accessible through eCommerce channels. Lenstore helps consumers take advantage of its online contact lenses selection, including bestsellers like the 1Day Acuvue Moist and Dailies AquaComfort Plus, through its streamlined ordering and shipping processes.

The company offers an Auto Reorder subscription service, making sure regular contact lens users receive their supplies right when needed. Beyond saving time by matching deliveries to wearing schedules, customers also enjoy a 5% discount on each repeat order. Their flexible shipping includes same-day dispatch for in-stock products ordered before 11 pm, plus free delivery on orders over £49. This approach shows how creating a smooth, efficient shopping experience reduces returns while building stronger customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Explore the ‘phygital’ approach

According to the UK Optical Goods Retailing Market Report 2024, the increased demand for prescription eyewear like contact lenses drove significant growth for the broader optical goods market, especially among younger consumers who use eCommerce. However, the report also noted that across key demographics, in-store experience remains important.

In this regard, Vision Express takes on a hybrid approach that seamlessly integrates its online eyewear offerings with its in-store optical services. Since consumers need their prescription before ordering contact lenses online, they can schedule an appointment to get their vision screened at the nearest Vision Express branch. The retailer’s physical and digital, strategy thus involves investing not only in its eCommerce website but also in its retail stores, one of which costs £4 million to offer the latest technology for advanced eye tests. If you own both a brick-and-mortar store and an eCommerce platform for your business, blending the physical and digital offerings can create a more engaging customer experience.

Leverage emerging technologies like AI

Deploying an eCommerce channel is not the be-all and end-all of digital transformation for businesses. Thus, contact lens retailers in the UK, including the ones mentioned above, have been leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) through on-site chatbots that can answer customer queries and guide them through product selection, order placement, and other key points of the shopping journey.

AI-powered chatbots are crucial for customer support, especially considering the Contact Lens Institute found that half of the contact lens-related searches on Google were related to purchasing. Consumers also searched for contact lens insertion and removal instructions, which chatbots can also help with through automated responses to frequently asked questions.

As evidenced above, online contact lens retailers know how to implement website features and services that increase repeat purchases and customer retention rates for continued growth and success. However, incorporating these into your eCommerce strategy would not be possible without monitoring and evaluation, which entails gathering feedback from customers and identifying areas of improvement. 

Conclusion

Even if you sell products that aren’t regularly replaced like contact lenses, the fundamental lessons about creating convenience, building trust, and removing purchase barriers remain relevant. With the right systems in place, your online store can achieve the same kind of sustainable growth that has made contact lens retailers so successful in the digital marketplace.