FramesDirect.com
Frames Direct is an American online eyewear retailer owned by EssilorLuxottica. The company sells eyewear products such as eyeglasses, prescription sunglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses through its website, www.framesdirect.com. Frames Direct sells designer and brand-name eyewear products with over 50,000 models.
Founded in 1996, Frames Direct was one of the earliest online optical retail stores and the first to sell prescription sunglasses online.
History
Co-founders Dhavid Cooper, OD and Guy Hodgson, OD are both originally from South Africa where they moved from to the United States in the 1980s. The two business partners had several optometry practices in Houston, Texas operating from 1986 until 1994 when they had an opportunity to sell their offices.After taking a year off, the two co-founded FramesDirect in 1996 and launched FramesDirect.com later that year. The company was headquartered in Houston until Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Ike forced their customer service representatives to relocate to Austin, Texas, and eventually the rest of the office followed.
In 2010, Essilor, a prescription lens manufacturing company, acquired the majority stake in FramesDirect.com. Shortly after, Essilor partnered with FramesDirect.com to create and launch MyOpticalOnline.com, an online service that allows independent eyewear practices to sell their products online.
The company has been recognized by the MassMutual Financial Group and U.S. Chamber of Commerce with a Blue Chip Enterprise Award, and in 2000, FramesDirect.com was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.