Comment by bitcartel | Hacker News Reader

Comment by bitcartel | Hacker News Reader

Slick website and nice service providing first world convenience, but still Made in China.

SZDaily: "It is said that at least 60 percent of the spectacles on the earth are made in Shenzhen... At present, there are nearly 500 spectacles manufacturing companies in the city, mostly in Henggang Subdistrict, Longgang District, producing nearly 200 million pairs of spectacles a year. Ninety-five percent of their products are exported to more than 130 countries and regions, accounting for more than 70 percent of market share in Europe and about 60 percent on the global market."

http://www.szdaily.com/content/2012-07/20/content_6962497.ht...

WarbyParker: "We design our frames here in the US, then source our material (high-quality cellulose acetate) from a 150-year-old, family-owned Italian manufacturer. Our frames are then crafted in China"

http://blog.warbyparker.com/post/12789294212/i-have-a-questi...

As for the Italian manufacturer, it's likely they are referring to Mazzucchelli founded in 1849 and famous for the tortoise shell look. Well, it appears they may have outsourced acetate production to China too!

http://www.optiboard.com/forums/showthread.php/47085-Acetate...

http://www.alibaba.com/countrysearch/CN/mazzucchelli-acetate...

I've found their frames to be average to poor quality. They seem like knockoffs of old school acetate frames like Anglo Americans, which weren't great quality to begin with.

What's so bad about made in China?

Nothing at all, just highlighting the fact that despite all the beautiful marketing, Warby Parker is really no different from other online glasses retailers.

"A new concept in eyewear... Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to create boutique-quality, classically crafted eyewear at a revolutionary price point." http://www.warbyparker.com/our-story/

Given that Warby Parker are most likely using the same supply chain as their competitors, what exactly is their competitive advantage, to justify total funding of $50.3 million? It can't just be a prettier website, can it?

Well, much like apple, many people are willing to pay more for a pleasant experience.

I've used several of the cheap Chinese glasses sites and the product quality all seems uniform but some of them have a better curated selection of designs than others. Warby also lets you do the 5 pair try on at home thing which I'd say is worth paying a bit more over the rock bottom price.

As far as the funding, I'd guess it's because they've been quite successful, and also because they're apparently in talks with Google regarding Glass.

Agreed, although you could argue that Apple provides something of tangible difference i.e. iOS and OSX, whereas Warby still sells the same Chinese glasses but with a better customer experience.

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