Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands like Eyebuydirect are overcoming traditional barriers in high-consideration purchase categories like eyewear.

"Operating most of the things online delivered us some cost savings, and we are able to pass the savings to consumers," said Sunny Jiang, CEO and president of Eyebuydirect, on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers.”

Here’s how Eyebuydirect is finding success.

Solving the try-before-you-buy challenge

For eyewear retailers, the inability to physically try on frames has traditionally been a significant hurdle for online sales. Eyebuydirect has tackled this challenge head-on with technology.

"About 20% of users leverage our Virtual Try-On tool. For this group of people, their conversion rate for final transactions is doubling compared to people who don't use it," Jiang revealed.

• Jiang said the feature uses AI and AR to detect facial features and show how frames look from different angles as users move their heads.

This approach aligns with broader retail trends, according to analyst Sky Canaves, who noted that "eyewear and the face might be a little more straightforward than say with apparel" for virtual try-on technology, making it one of the "relatively easier use cases for AI Try-On."

What it means: Virtual try-on technology is proving to be more than a novelty—it's becoming a critical conversion tool that can significantly impact bottom-line results for D2C brands, especially in categories where physical interaction has traditionally been essential.

AI innovations beyond the obvious

While virtual try-on might be the most visible AI application, Eyebuydirect aims to implement AI across its customer journey to reduce friction points.

• The company recently launched an AI-powered prescription scanner that automatically recognizes and transfers information from doctors' prescriptions to the website form.
• "Around 15% of customers interact with this feature, but it is significantly contributing to the overall website revenue," said Jiang.

Eyebuydirect has formalized its approach to AI innovation by establishing an AI committee with members from UI/UX, IT, product, and marketing teams.

What it means: D2C brands that identify category-specific pain points and apply targeted AI solutions can create meaningful differentiation and drive conversion, even in traditionally high-touch retail categories.

Balancing digital advantages with physical presence

Despite the clear benefits of its digital-first approach, Eyebuydirect is cautiously exploring physical retail through a pop-up store in California.

• "From surveys, we heard from customers about their willingness to have a physical touch base with the brand," said Jiang. "We're still very much in the learning phase, but it is a great opportunity to inform us about future decisions on business model evolution."
• The company faces unique challenges in physical retail given its extensive product range—over 4,000 frame styles and hundreds of lens options—compared to more curated D2C eyewear competitors.

What it means: Even successful digital-native brands are finding value in selective physical presence, not necessarily for sales volume but for brand experience and customer insights that can inform their broader strategy.

Navigating economic pressures through value proposition

In the current economic environment with inflation concerns and potential tariff impacts, Eyebuydirect is seeing its value-focused approach resonate even more strongly.

• "Under such economic uncertainties, value becomes even more essential," Jiang noted. "It is helping us to restress our mission and core values, that is to make high quality and stylish eyewear accessible."

What it means: D2C brands with strong value propositions may be uniquely positioned to benefit during economic uncertainty, as Canaves pointed out: "If prices are increasing across the board, those that are more competitively priced and have better offerings, not just in terms of price, but the value with the quality factored in can really stand to benefit."

Listen to the full episode

This article was prepared with the assistance of generative AI tools to support content organization, summarization, and drafting. All AI-generated contributions have been reviewed, fact-checked, and verified for accuracy and originality by EMARKETER editors. Any recommendations reflect EMARKETER’s research and human judgment.