Our journey to you: Flagship Vision Direct store opens in Melbourne

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When we founded Vision Direct as an e-commerce business in 2006, the concept for a brick and mortar store was always hovering there in the background as one of our ultimate goals. To be able to put our products directly into the hands of our customers was an idea that we held precious right from the beginning.

So, in 2017, when the premises were purchased and the dream became reality–it was the achievement of a long-held ambition. We also found out that the stages of buying, designing, and building a store are as numerous as they are rewarding.

Here’s our journey to you; from concept to reality.

First, we needed a concept

We knew that before we built anything, we needed to be able to visualize what the end product would look like. We needed to truly understand its function before we could design it, so we could make it the best store it could

possibly be.

We didn’t always all agree on size, shape, or style, but finally (after a lot of late night coffees and 2-4-1 pizzas) we found a concept that we all loved.

For us, the Vision Direct store is all about bringing the great online experience straight to you and putting the huge range of choice right into your hands. We know that shopping online isn’t for everyone, but that buying in a store usually means you have to pay more for your glasses. This is something that we have never agreed with. That’s why we wanted to build our store to show you that you can try on your new glasses or sunglasses in person and still pay the same great prices as you would online.

Finding a location

 

When it came to the location there were no late night coffees required. We all knew that it had to be Australia, and it had to be Melbourne. As Australia’s second city, with its world-famous tramway system and home to everyone’s favourite spread (vegemite, naturally), Melbourne has everything to offer. It is famous for its cosmopolitan atmosphere and is alive with new ideas.

We see opening our store in Melbourne as the best way of reaching our dedicated customers (that’s you!). Our location is easy to get to and brings you right into the heart of what Melbourne is all about.

 

The build begins

Once we knew our design and our destination, we could finally begin building. Knocking out the first brick was a landmark moment for us, and we couldn’t wait to see it through to the end. Seeing a space transform over time; from a hollow shell to a brand new store, is a tense but exciting process.

By designing the Vision Direct store from scratch we were able to incorporate all the things that we believe to be most important to you. We built state of the art shelving that lets you see, hold, and try out whichever pair of glasses take your fancy. With our purpose-built lighting system, you can get a great idea of how you will look in every style, and our fully trained staff will be able to give you all the advice and assistance you need. And it’s all face-to-face.

Furthermore, we’re delighted to be partnering with Sam and Jessica Chester; our trusted opticians who will be able to provide eye tests in store. The appointments will be super easy to book too, just go online to our booking page. The best thing about this is that these eye appointments are totally free for Medicare card holders, as well as for those of you who are using another of the major health providers.

Like we said, it was important to us to build a store that gives you the best of everything.

 

Stocking up on the best products

What do you when you’re done building the best store in the world (in our humble opinion)? …you stock it with the best products in the world!

We sell over 70,000 products from across 180 different brands so we have a load of eyewear for you to choose from. And, because we have ten years of experience with our Vision Direct ecommerce site, we know exactly which glasses everyone really, really, wants. Which is great news for everyone, because it means that every pair we put in the store are from our top selling lines.

For you, it means that when you go into our store, you know that you’ll be guaranteed to find a pair of glasses or sunglasses that you love.

We don’t know about you, but we’re pretty excited about that!

 

 

Welcome to our Vision Direct store!