After having spent almost 30 years in the optical retail industry, I know first hand how the industry has been degraded over time by the monopolistic hold Luxottica has created.  Today, Luxottica owns most optical frame brands, the shops where you buy them, and Eyemed, a major vision care plan.

This keeps prices artificially high industry wide, and has had a very negative effect on keeping competition down. In my opinion, it's time for an anti-trust case to be brought against Luxottica. Consumers never benefit with monopolies. Breaking monopolies up keeps the "free market" relatively free and helps smaller businesses survive and maybe prosper.

From the start, our goal has been to source the best quality frames we could find at affordable prices from independent eyewear manufacturers. We offer a wide spectrum of styles, from quality budget frames to high end designer lines, that are (intentionally) not from Luxottica.

60 Minutes did a piece on eyewear and Luxottica back in 2013 which we posted on our original blog. It's only gotten worse since then. Here is a new video from the "Adam Ruins Everything" series, and the 60 minutes piece:

Adam Ruins Everything - The Conspiracy Behind Your Glasses

60 Minutes - Luxottica. Do you know who makes your glasses?