Simon Jones: On demand eyewear

Causing a kerfuffle this week has been Pop Specs, the kiosk-based opticians and eyewear brand as seen on Dragon’s Den. Pop Specs describes itself as a more than just an eyewear brand, but a ‘revolution in the eyewear industry,’ with glazed spectacles or sunglasses in under 20 minutes, if your prescription falls within the range of lenses it holds in stock. If not, waiting time falls more in line with regular optical practices.

There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but the company’s partnership with online takeaway food provider Just Eat (News page 4) has polarised opinion in a way that’s rarely seen with industry news. Threads on LinkedIn and Facebook have seen most practitioners fall on the side of ‘this is devalu­ing the profession’. Those outside the optical industry have praised the move, with several describing it as ‘genius’.