War by Parker is an eyewear company that sells prescription glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and related services. Founded in 2010 as an online retailer, the firm now sells online and through 223 retail stores in the United States and Canada as of mid-2023.

War by Parker helped pioneer the direct-to-consumer business model. By designing its glasses in-house, utilizing contract manufacturers, and selling directly to consumers, it can sell prescription glasses for $95.

As a result of its attractive price point and the stylish nature of its glasses, War by Parker attracts considerable attention. It is also a mission-driven company. It features a “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair” program. For every pair of glasses purchased, the firm distributes a pair to someone in need. Since 2010, the firm has distributed over 10 million pairs of glasses through this initiative.

War by Parker is one of the fastest-growing consumer brands in the United States. The company says it stands for “fun, creativity, and doing good in the world.” Its goal is to provide vision for all.

Before jumping ahead, Blumenthal and his three friends studied the eyewear industry. In doing so, they discovered four interesting characteristics about the industry. First, very little innovation occurred in the industry over time.
Buying glasses in 2010 did not differ much from the process used 20 years earlier. Second, there were virtually no brands on the market that evoked passion or excitement for people. Third, the online channel accounted for only 1 percent of eyeglasses sales, largely, the students thought, because people probably want to try on glasses before buying them. Finally, they learned that glasses have the potential to help quite a few people. The University of Michigan conducted a study to evaluate the impact of Vision Spring’s efforts to provide eyeglasses to people in countries with lower average incomes. The study found that a pair of Vision Spring eyeglasses resulted in an average increase in a user’s monthly income of 20 percent and their overall productivity by 35 percent.
Given what they learned from their research, Blumenthal and his classmates concluded that the eyewear industry was ripe for disruption. To do this, the students felt that a company should have the following: (1) the courage to do an end-run around Luxottica by manufacturing its own glasses, (2) a commitment to use online selling as the distribution channel to reduce the product’s price, (3) knowledge about how to create a brand that people could become passionate about, and (4) a willingness to give away a pair of glasses to lower-income people for every pair the firm sold....

Discussion Questions:

1.What problem is War by Parker trying to solve? To what degree do you think the firm is successful in its attempts to solve this problem?

2.Would you characterize War by Parker’s business model as a standard business model or a disruptive business model? Explain your answer.
3.On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), how compelling is War by Parker’s business model? Also, on a scale of 1 to 10, how difficult would it be for a competitor to take market share from War by Parker? Explain your answers.
4.What are some challenges War by Parker may have that we did not mention in the case?