Warby Parker eyes latest NC expansion with new glasses store at Birkdale Village
Eyeglass retailer Warby Parker is opening its third Charlotte-area location.
Warby Parker will open Saturday at Birkdale Village, 16834 Birkdale Commons Parkway, Huntersville. It’s the fifth North Carolina store for the 12-year-old company based in New York City.
Two other Charlotte stores are at Atherton Mill, 2000 South Blvd., and at SouthPark mall, 4400 Sharon Road. Two other stores are in Raleigh and Durham, with a sixth Warby Parker opening next year in Cary.
Warby Parker is the latest store to open at Birkdale Village, which has undergone a $20 million renovation by Ohio-based property owner North American Properties. Construction at the 20-year-old center began in January.
What to expect at Warby Parker
Warby Parker prescription eyeglasses start at $95.
Warby Parker also sells contact lenses, including its own Scout brand with a free six-day trial. Contacts start at less than $50 for a 90-day daily lens pack, according the company’s website.
The 1,378-square-foot store will offer eye exams and carry sun and optical eyewear, including Extended Sizing + Kids and Titanium Standards collections.
The store’s interior custom artwork is by Durham artist Martha Clippinger, who also created a piece that hangs at the North County Regional Library in Huntersville, Warby Parker said.
Warby Parker is hiring for full- and part-time roles across all three Charlotte stores, according to the company.
About Warby Parker
The publicly traded company started as an online retailer and has about 190 stores in the U.S. and Canada, according to Warby Parker.
Warby Parker started primarily as an online retailer and is known for its free home try-on and virtual try-on app.
For every pair of glasses or sunglasses sold, Warby Parker distributes a pair of glasses to someone in need through its Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program, according to the company.
Warby Parker’s second-quarter net revenue increased $18.1 million, or 13.7%, to $149.6 million compared to the second quarter last year, the company reported in August.
The company is opening 40 stores this year, bringing the total to 201, according to the earnings report.
About Birkdale Village
In July, The Charlotte Observer reported Warby Parker would open at Birkdale Village, along with retailers and restaurants with Charlotte roots: Foxcroft Wine Co., The Good Wurst Co., Icebox Cryotherapy and Morelia Gourmet Paletas.
Birkdale Village has more than 60 stores and restaurants, including Barnes & Noble, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Regal Cinemas and Total Wine & More.
Warby Parker joins several other new retailers at the 250,000-square-foot retail center, which has added an outdoor stage, greenspace and retail kiosks.
In July, Cosmo Gypsy, bohemian women’s apparel, and Beck on Broad, women’s clothing and accessories, plus housewares, opened.
Other new and long-time retailers and restaurants are: Brixx, Apricot Lane, Brown BagSeafood Co., Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop, eeZ Fusion & Sushi, Girl Supply, Green Brothers Juice Co., Kendra Scott, Lovesac, Savory Spice and Sephora.
Birkdale Village also has 320 apartments and 50,000 square feet of office space.
This story was originally published October 28, 2022 at 5:50 AM.