Luxury eyewear company to open second South Carolina location in downtown Greenville

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A New York City-based eyewear company will open its second South Carolina location in Greenville.

Warby Parker opens its doors on 14 N. Main St. in downtown Greenville on Nov. 11.

The store will carry its full sun and optical eyewear offerings, including new Memory Metal and Painted Windsor collections, and the brand’s daily contact lenses, Scout by Warby Parker, and third-party contacts.

For every pair of Warby Parker glasses purchased, a pair of glasses is distributed to someone in need through its Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program. Since day one, more than 15 million pairs of glasses have been distributed.

Sandy Gilsenan, Warby Parker chief retail and customer experience officer said, “We’re thrilled to open our second store in South Carolina and have long admired the city of Greenville. We continue to expand our retail footprint and best meet our customers wherever they are, whether that’s online or in person. As we see locations with a strong online presence, expanding our physical presence allows us to connect with local communities as another touchpoint. We believe in affordable, holistic vision care, and providing this in a way that makes an impact on our communities.”

Creatively, Warby Parker is partnering with Laura Junger to create a series of works for the Greenville store that features a mix of bespectacled characters, cityscapes, and natural scenes to pay homage to Greenville’s natural beauty, said Gilsenan.

“We’ve always focused more on the customer experience and are less concerned with the medium itself,” Gilsenan added. “This means we aim to meet our customers where they are regardless of retail format. With all our retail locations, including Greenville, we create vibrant, welcoming spaces modeled after libraries with a ‘reference desk’ for customers to meet with our store associates, rows of books, and glasses displays resembling library shelves. Each location features original artwork inspired by the store’s area, often from a local artist, to make every space truly one-of-a-kind.”

Warby Parker is on track to open 40 stores by the end of the year to further expand its retail presence in 2024, said Gilsenan.

“We’re honored to work alongside the local community at our new Greenville store to help make it more convenient for our local customers to access affordable, holistic vision care,” she added.

And, coming soon, eye exams will be available in-store for a one-stop-shop, said Gilsenan.