In the quest for sustainability in the eyewear industry, we often focus on eco-friendly materials, 3D printing, upcycling, or biodegradable plastics. We talk about shifting production to countries with lower labor costs or improving environmental laws. These are all important aspects of the conversation—but they’re not the real elephant in the room.
The true issue lies in the eyewear supply chain itself: the massive overproduction of stock eyewear.
Consider this: billions of dollars of stock eyewear sit on store shelves, in warehouses, and on container ships. A staggering 20% of this eyewear goes unsold, either sitting in storage forever or being donated to landfills. Factories produce eyewear in ever-greater quantities, driving prices down but also inflating the market with cheap, ready-made products. The result? A glut of overproduction floods the market, and retailers can’t sell the products, especially with consumers finding them cheaper online.
As a result, distributors struggle because retailers are shutting down, and factories continue to churn out eyewear at unsustainable rates—often in regions like Vietnam and Thailand, as factories leave China to keep up with cost pressures. Myopia anyone?
This is where the race to the bottom begins. Factories undercut each other, competing for orders but reducing their margins, which ultimately harms the entire supply chain. And in the end, the environment and consumers suffer.
So, who wins in a race to the bottom? No one.
Now, let’s ask: Is your optical business stuck in the commodity trap? If so, you’re competing in a game where you can never win by simply lowering your prices and selling mass-produced eyewear. But there is a solution.
Enter 3DNA—The Future of Eyewear Innovation and Sustainability
With 3DNA, you can break free from the traditional model. Imagine a system where you only order on demand, with no stock and no waste. You get to offer any shape, any material, any brand, and even custom sizing for every client—without being tied to unsold inventory. It’s a game-changer for the eyewear industry, especially for opticians and eyewear brands tired of competing on price alone.
Why compete in a race you can’t win, when you can play by your own rules?
Transform Your Optical Business with Eyewear as a Service
With 3DNA, you’re no longer just selling eyewear; you’re offering personalized, expert styling and fitting that online retailers can’t replicate. This is where you can truly shine—by giving customers exactly what they want, without the compromise of poor fit or style. And best of all, no stock to manage, no unsold inventory to deal with.
So, if you want to stop competing with the big optical chains and start winning with sustainable, on-demand eyewear, then it’s time to make a change.
What are you waiting for? Book a call with me today and take a guided tour of the future of eyewear. Let’s break free from the commodity trap and transform your optical business into a thriving, future-facing brand.
