AI-powered glasses are beginning to make an impact on one of the largest vision retailers in the country.The Ray-Ban Meta frames produced by EssilorLuxottica are among the fastest to sell out of any pair of frames at National Vision, the parent company of America’s Best and Eyeglass World, according to its CEO, Alex Wilkes. The retailer has about 1,270 retail locations in 40 states, the majority of which are under the America’s Best banner. It sees close to 7 million optometry patients annually and employs 2,000 optometrists.
This signals a shift in the vision landscape where cameras are making their way into the optical store, even for less technologically savvy users. National Vision first piloted Ray-Ban Meta glasses last year and quickly scaled it to more than 100 stores. The retailer allows customers to apply their insurance benefit and buy prescription lenses.
Generally, AI glasses can capture photos and videos using the camera and provide interaction with an AI assistant through built-in speakers and Bluetooth connectivity. Essilor Luxottica and Meta first launched smart glasses together in 2021 and launched a second generation in 2023 that added louder speakers and an upgraded camera.
