Four Eyes aims to be Philippines’ Warby Parker, sells cheap prescriptive eyewear online

Of all of United States’ startup exports, Warby Parker is one that hasn’t really been replicated in Asia. The startup, which sells quality eyewear at a ridiculously low price point, has been a toast of the New York scene by disrupting the eyewear industry and in the process raising USD 50.3M in capital.

Warby’s innovation doesn’t lie in new-fangled technology. Instead, it break the dominance of an industry cartel that has been driving prices artificially high. By fashioning its own supply chain and designing its own glasses, it cuts out the middle men and offers eye wear at a low USD 95 a pop.

Four Eyes in the Philippines is attempting do the same. The company takes many of its cues from Warby Parker, right down to the sparse, white, and minimalist design on the website.

It also offers a similar home try-on program, which sends eyewear to consumers to test for fit and then return via mail. There are subtle differences though: Pick-up and drop-off options are available at physical locations, and while Warby requires consumers to pay only after they try on the glasses, Four Eyes collects payment beforehand.

On price, Four Eyes co-founder Pavan Challa says that the company provides both lens and frame at PHP 1,495 (USD 36), which is cheaper than the typical off-the-shelf cost that lies anywhere between PHP 3,000 to PHP 5,000 for more branded pieces. A standard pair of prescription lens alone could cost upwards of PHP 1,495.

At first glance, Philippines sounds like an odd place to start a Warby Parker. Why not do it in Singapore or Hong Kong, where cost of living is much higher?

Pavan responds that most of the founders’ expertise and assets are already in the Philippines. He himself has started Galleon.ph, which gives him an understanding of e-commerce in the Philippines. Meanwhile, Four Eyes’ cofounder Jiten Lalwani is in family eyewear business RS Corporation, which has been doing distribution and wholesaling for almost three decades.

The fact that Jiten is in the traditional eyewear industry puts Four Eyes in an interesting context, since the startup could cannibalize longstanding industry players if it succeeds.

While this possibility has prevented many larger corporations from innovating, perhaps Jiten is aware of e-commerce’s potential and views Four Eyes as a possible antidote that, while bitter in the short run, could prove to be rewarding in the future.

Whether Four Eyes succeeds or not, we can expect more similar startups to begin operating in Asia. It’s certainly a trend to watch out for this year.