State of the Industry

Without sounding too much like we're about to dive into a college lecture on international business, we thought it would be educational and helpful to inform all of you good people about the current state of the eyewear industry.

There is a very prominent reason for the high prices of so many sunglasses. Luxottica, a company based out of Italy, controls over 80% of major eyewear brands. They own some heavy hitters like RayBan, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Persol, and Vogue. They produce and supply eyewear for many of the top designer brands like Prada, Coach, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, and many more. They even own many large international retailers like Sunglass Hut and LensCrafters. With such a stranglehold in the industry, it's no surprise that they have been able to get away with charging whatever they want for their sunglasses - even if the higher quality isn't always there to show for it.

Brightside wants to offer a legitimate alternative for all of you savvy shoppers who, like us, don't see any reason to keep fueling a money-guzzling juggernaut.