The online eyewear retailer has partnered with Meta, US Vision, and PPG through its new Zenni Business platform.
Zenni Optical has made headway with its recently launched business-to-business platform by adding 3 customers as new partners. The platform, Zenni Business, was launched in September 2023 and is now welcoming Meta, US Vision, and PPG to its network, according to a news release.
“We are on a mission to elevate eye health awareness, revolutionize the prescription process, and optimize global operations and manufacturing," said David Ting, Zenni’s global chief technology officer and general manager. "Through Zenni Business, we empower our partners to achieve the same.”
The online eyewear retailer’s intent in developing Zenni Business is to challenge the eye care industry’s high costs, standard of innovation, and customer access limitations, according to the release. The platform is built on a vertically integrated business model, which includes ownership of optical laboratories, manufacturing and logistics, frame design, technology, and customer service.1
"We identified a strategic opportunity to revolutionize this industry, and the response to Zenni Business has been extremely positive,” said Brian Persons, head of business development at Zenni Optical. “We have found that a significant number of businesses have been seeking an innovative partner to challenge the prevailing norms. Traditional industry leaders have maintained dominance for far too long, often with a rigid mindset, and our market entry now presents a more progressive alternative.”
Zenni Business partners will be able to use the platform in a variety of different ways, and builds off of recent partnerships with Zenni Optical. Meta partnered with the company in early 2023 to provide virtual reality prescription lens inserts for the Meta Quest 3 headset, a partnership that developed to aid the 66% of American adults needing corrective eyewear. Additionally, Zenni will assist in maintaining US Vision’s e-commerce strategy to enhance its omni-channel presence across 260 retail locations in the country.1
“Partnering with Zenni Business will help us to deliver on our long-held mission to provide broader access to premium eyewear for all of our customers, regardless of their proximity to our brick-and-mortar locations” said Eric J Bertrand, chairman of US Vision. “Zenni’s top-tier e-commerce experience provides us with a digital infrastructure that can scale our offerings quickly and easily.”
Additionally, Zenni worked with PPG to create a tailored shopping experience for the company’s employees, which requires ANSI Z87.1 safety eyewear to access. The shopping experience is available at over 200 locations after the launch of its pilot program.1
In furthering these partnerships through Zenni Business, partners will have access to an e-commerce platform, digital marketing solutions aimed to increase conversion rates and create customer loyalty, comprehensive manufacturing from Zenni Optical labs, and corporate benefit programs.1
Correction: The news release referenced in this article was modified to remove Molina Healthcare from the Zenni Business partners list. The article was corrected to reflect these changes on March 13, 2024 at 2 pm.