Case Study: Warby Parker achieves streamlined operations and scalable eCommerce growth with QuickBooks Commerce

How four students turned the eyewear industry on its head

Warby Parker was founded by four Wharton students who set out to challenge the eyewear market’s high prices and monopoly-like control by incumbents such as Luxottica. They faced early skepticism about selling glasses online and logistical setbacks when a rushed 2010 launch left them without inventory controls and a 20,000-person waitlist — but the demand and idea were clear.

Their solution combined a free Home Try-On program with a vertically integrated model: in-house frame design, direct manufacturing, and a $95 price point that included prescription lenses, plus free shipping and generous returns. Strong customer service and data-driven feedback loops helped them scale rapidly—hitting first-year sales targets in weeks, distributing over a million pairs, reaching a $1.2B valuation by 2015, and growing into a multi-channel business with dozens of stores and a Buy a Pair, Give a Pair social program.

Warby Parker

Neil Blumenthal

Warby Parker