Lenstore
{{Short description|Online optical retailer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Lenstore
| logo = Lenstore logo turquoise.png
| logo_size =
| type = Private company
| industry = Online retailer
| foundation = {{start date and age|2008}}
| location_city = Kensington, London
| location_country = United Kingdom
| area_served = UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain
| key_people = Mitesh Patel, Founder
| products = Contact lenses
| num_employees =
| parent = EssilorLuxottica
| homepage = {{URL |https://www.lenstore.co.uk/ }}
}}
Lenstore is a British online optical retailer, specialising in contact lenses and eye care products.
History
Lenstore was founded on 3 January 2008 by Oxford graduate, Mitesh Patel.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/england/london-travel/how-we-made-it-mitesh-patel-and-olga-nuryaeva-of-lenstore-ds76jb3hzgt|title=How We Made It: Mitesh Patel and Olga Nuryaeva, of Lenstore|last=Williams|first=Hattie|date=2013-09-15|work=The Sunday Times|access-date=2018-10-11|language=en|issn=0956-1382}} The website went live on 11 June 2008 and by 2012 the company had entered the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 in 10th place.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fasttrack.co.uk/league-tables/fast-track-100/league-table/?leagueyear=2012|title=Fast Track 100 league table 2012|work=Fast Track|access-date=2018-11-05}} Lenstore had served over 100,000 customers by 2013, despite not being the only online-only lens and glasses retailer in the UK.{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Duncan |date=2013-01-23 |title=UK lens market open to more online sales |url=https://www.ft.com/content/821aeeea-656d-11e2-a3db-00144feab49a |access-date=2019-02-08 |website=Financial Times |language=en-GB}} This growth was aided by a desire in the UK to buy lenses cheaper, and not just from high street opticians. Guides were subsequently created to help UK customers identify the correct lens to purchase online (as high street opticians would often rebrand lenses).{{Cite web|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/how-halve-price-your-glasses-10385377|title=How to halve the price of your glasses and contact lenses|last=Fitzsimons|first=John|date=2017-05-12|website=mirror|access-date=2019-02-08}}
In late 2013, the start-up was acquired by GrandVision.{{Cite web |date=2014-01-09 |title=GrandVision buys Lenstore - Optician |url=https://www.opticianonline.net/news/grandvision-buys-lenstore |access-date=2018-10-11 |website=www.opticianonline.net}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/france/paris/duo-cash-in-on-online-vision-j975kkmcvhg|title=Duo cash in on online vision|last=Williams|first=Hattie|date=2013-12-22|work=The Sunday Times|access-date=2018-11-22|language=en|issn=0956-1382}} This saw Lenstore become a sister company to UK high-street optician Vision Express, allowing the company to offer customers face-to-face eye care.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theretailbulletin.com/news/lenstore_reports_first_1_million_turnover_month_as_it_partners_with_vision_express_05-08-14/|title=Lenstore reports first £1 million turnover month as it partners with Vision Express on eye tests {{!}} The Retail Bulletin|last=Bulletin|first=The Retail|website=The Retail Bulletin|language=en|access-date=2018-10-11}} A version of the Lenstore website was launched in Germany in 2016.
In the media
In April 2018 Lenstore & Nikon created the world's first gigapixel timelapse, with London as the subject. The 7.3 gigapixel timelapse was taken from the top of Canary Wharf using a Nikon D850 camera and a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm lens.{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/gigapixel-time-lapse-image-spectacular-london-lenstore-a3826911.html|title=This incredible time-lapse shows London as you've never seen it before|date=2018-04-30|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=2019-02-08}}
In 2019 Lenstore teamed up with charity Colour Blindness Awareness UK to highlight the plight of people with colour blindness by showcasing how they see the world. The campaign highlighted 3 different types of colour blindness including Tritanopia, Protanopia and Deuteranopia.{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/photos-show-how-colour-blind-people-see-the-world-8373841/|title=Photos show how colour blind people see the world|date=2019-01-22|website=Metro|language=en|access-date=2019-02-08}}[https://beautylux.com.au/collections/eye-care Beautylux]