Isn’t it amazing how technology has advanced? Now you can get anything you wish online – books, gadgets, apparel, you name it! Heck, it seems like almost every other day that a parcel is being delivered to my house because people have bought something online. It’s just so convenient!
But convenience isn’t the only thing that’s driving online shopping behavior…
Shopping Online is Cheaper
Tons of people are quickly realizing that it’s far, far cheaper to get things online. With suppliers selling products themselves, middleman costs are reduced dramatically. With no physical retail space, overheads and fixed costs are also reduced. Ultimately, all of these savings flow into the customers’ pocket!
I remember one time when I built my own computer: I had gone down to the brick and mortar shop to do a price comparison – about 90% of the components I needed was cheaper online (yes, even after shipping!). I felt sorry when I saw another guy at the store who hadn’t done his homework – he was looking lost and ready to sold to (and was probably about to pay for it heavily!)
I’ve even heard of customers taking advantage of retail shops. They ask the staff lots of questions about the products, trying to make a buying decision. Just when the sales person is sure that they’ve got an interested customer, the customer leaves the store, knowing that they can get the same item online for cheap.
Some things just can’t be bought online.. or can they?
Luckily for retailers, brick and mortar is still a mainstay for a few industries. For example, while there are definitely online stores for things like mattresses, I’d feel more comfortable if I was at the actual store feeling the texture if the mattress – after all, this is something that I’m going to have to lie on every day! I couldn’t imagine buying a mattress online.
Another item that I was sure I couldn’t buy online was glasses. I mean, surely you’d need an optician to look at your eyes and make a recommendation, right? Man, I was so wrong!
Introducing GlassesUSA.com, an online glasses store
Just when you thought you had the online retail landscape sussed out, BOOM – someone comes along and blows your mind. GlassesUSA.com offered me a chance to try their service. At the time, I had my glasses for quite a few years. This pair had seen me through my military training – it had mud, camo paint and rain thrown at it and was looking worse for wear. So I leapt at the opportunity!
Huge Range, Free Shipping
I was just amazed at what GlassesUSA.com offered – a massive range of glasses, sunglasses and contacts at a fraction of the price you’d buy in person. You really have to have a look at their range to appreciate how much there is online compared to a shop, which can only fit so much in the store.
Shipping got you stressed? GlassesUSA.com has got you covered. They ship for free in the US and Canada. Phew!
Okay that’s all fine and well, you’re saying, but the thing about brick and mortar shops is that you can actually try on the glasses!
It’s like getting the real thing
This is where the game changed for me – you can actually “try” the glasses online! They have an option for you to upload your own picture, and you’ll have the ability to overlay the pair of glasses over your own face!
How cool is that?
Afterwards, you can enter all your details to get your lenses done. I have a pretty simple prescription: just -1.75 on both sides, so this part was easy for me. Check it out:
For things like pupillary distance (PD, or the distance between your pupils), you can just use a straight ruler. That’s what I did and the results turned out GREAT (whoops spoilers)!
Can I trust the quality of things online?
Sure, GlassesUSA.com offers its own home-brand collections (of which I’ll talk about in the next section), but they also carry quality brands that you know and love. Do the names, Ray-Ban, Oakley and Gucci ring a bell? Yes, they’re all there on the GlassesUSA.com store!
But I get it, ultimately you want to hear from someone who’s actually tried the product… so here’s my experience.
The big reveal
I got the Elliot pair of glasses – it’s $89. And I was SUPER Skeptical okay. How is it possible for a company to offer the frames, lenses and shipping for $89? That’s about half what I’d pay usually. Plus, there have been horror stories about misrepresentations online.
But what the hey, I took the plunge.
The glasses took just a few days to arrive (from when it was sent out). The packaging was rather plain, but you could tell that it was good quality right off the bat. As soon as I opened the box, I was met with a very sturdy spectacle case and lens cloth. A good start.
Then I pulled out the glasses. The real meat and potatoes. Boy was I impressed! The glasses were a good kind of heavy. You know, the kind of weightiness that makes you feel like the product is of quality material and not some cheap plastic.
Next, the lenses sat in the frames nicely. Sometimes you get stuff online and the manufacturer kind of “goes through the motion.” Not here though. You could tell that the folks at GlassesUSA.com made the lenses to fit, and I had no worries that they were going to pop out or anything (which is what happens with my current pair, from time to time.)
Lastly, the fit. My old pair hung loose on my face. So much so that I had to superglue it together numerous times, as well as keep a band on it – all to stop it from falling off my face when I looked down! So it was a welcome feeling to put on the new pair and feel how snug it fit.
Final Verdict
Overall, I’d rate the glasses from GlassesUSA.com highly. And it’s not because they asked me to. I really am impressed and would recommend it to everyone!
More and more things are becoming available online for purchase. The great thing about companies like GlassesUSA.com is that even though they’ve migrated glasses buying online, they have taken careful steps to retain the crucial elements of the buyer experience (such as trying on glasses etc.)
And if I haven’t driven this home already, GlassesUSA.com proves that buying online is super affordable. So for a personal finance blogger like me that advocates spending wisely, the pair from GlassesUSA.com deserves double points.