Which eyewear company uses a 'Buy a Pair, Give a Pair' model?

Warby Parker is the eyewear company that uses a “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair” model.

Founded in Philadelphia in 2010 by Jeffrey Raider, Andrew Hunt, Neil Blumenthal, and David Gilboa, Warby Parker began as an online-first retailer of prescription glasses and sunglasses. Its social mission was built into the business from launch: when a customer buys a pair, the company works with nonprofit partners to distribute another pair to someone in need.

The program is not simply a literal shipment of identical glasses from the customer’s order. Partners may provide eye examinations, help people obtain affordable eyewear, or distribute glasses directly through community and school-based programs. VisionSpring and Restoring Vision have been among the organization’s nonprofit partners.

The model is often confused with TOMS’s shoe donations, which helped popularize “buy one, give one” retail. Warby Parker’s distinctive version focuses on vision care, and its Pupils Project, launched in 2015, separately provides screenings, exams, and glasses to students in U.S. public schools.