ETALES [ IN PRACTICE ] Blenders Eyewear was founded “to disrupt the eyewear market,” says Brian O’Connor, chief operating officer. Its glasses are fun and colorful, and reasonable prices allow many customers to purchase multiple pairs.
Blenders Eyewear: Meeting Customer Specs
THE CUSTOMER Founded in 2012, Blenders Eyewear creates bright, bold sunglasses and snow goggles at affordable prices. THE PROVIDER With worldwide headquarters in Allen, Texas, PFS provides e-commerce operations services for consumer brands and internet retailers.
with just $2,000. His goal: To shake up the sunglass industry and to create “something different, radical, and fun. I wanted to blend out,” he says. At the same time, Blenders Eyewear has focused on creating a community “that is looking to have a positive and active lifestyle,” O’Connor says. Fisher started by selling one style of sunglasses out of his backpack. In the decade since, Blenders’ bright, bold, and affordable styles have helped it become one of America’s fastest-growing sunglass brands, the company reports. It now offers sunglasses designed not only for everyday wear but also for multiple sports, including cycling, surfing, and volleyball. OMNICHANNEL SALES Blenders glasses can be found in numerous specialty stores, as well as the company’s three brick-and-mortar stores. By creating a direct-to-consumer business through online and retail store sales, Blenders has been able to remain competitively priced, O’Connor says. The company’s strong growth, on top of worldwide supply chain obstacles, brought challenges, particularly in logistics, warehousing, and shipping.
All glasses feature two slanted stripes— symbols of the company’s tag line, Life in Forward Motion. The Blenders Entourage—a group of about 20 athletes who wear Blenders Eyewear— includes award-winning surfer Nathan Florence, top-ranked volleyball player Brandie Wilkerson, and disk jockey Gareth Emery. CHALLENGING TIME FOR SHIPPING Like many companies that deal with physical goods, shutdowns and other delays during the pandemic impacted Blenders’ inbound and outbound shipments. “Between factory shutdowns, labor shortages, and transportation delays, along with skyrocketing shipping costs, I am not sure there has been a more challenging time for shipping,” O’Connor says. To tackle these challenges, Blenders began working with PFS, a subsidiary of PFSweb Inc. PFS, online at PFS Commerce, supports e-commerce fulfillment operations for both direct-to-consumer and business-to- business channels. Chase Fisher, a former surfing coach, launched Blenders Eyewear in 2012
by Karen Kroll
December 2022 • Inbound Logistics 49
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