The real-time virtual fitting eyewear shopping mall 'ROUNZ' (representatives Kim Myung-seop and Kim Se-min) announced on the 16th that the number of opticians who have partnered with them has approximately doubled compared to the end of last year.

Last November, the number of ROUNZ partner opticians was about 220, but as of May this year, it has increased to around 440 in just half a year. This is the largest scale even when compared to the number of franchise stores of domestic eyewear chains.

ROUNZ is innovating the way eyeglasses are purchased with artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technology. They support their customers in trying on suitable eyeglass frames virtually online and guide them to opticians where they can get prescription lenses fitted.

Currently, due to regulations under the Medical Technicians Act in South Korea, even if you purchase frames online, prescription lenses must be fitted at an optician's store. This inconvenience requires customers to make the additional effort to visit the optician again to buy both frames and lenses.

ROUNZ wanted to solve this inconvenience through partnerships with existing opticians. Specifically, they have provided various features and benefits necessary for building an O2O (Online to Offline) omnichannel with offline opticians through the ROUNZ app and web, such as ▲virtual fitting, ▲delivery to nearby opticians, ▲trying on glasses at an optician, etc., to encourage ROUNZ customers to visit partner opticians. Also, since 2021, they have been operating an optician coexistence program called the 'Blue Circle Campaign,' which offers additional benefits when ROUNZ customers have products delivered to partner opticians.

ROUNZ plans to increase the number of partner opticians to 1,000 by next year. To this end, they have recently strengthened their partnership policies, and at the same time, rapidly expanded their business model from the original online B2C to a B2B business targeting opticians.

Since last February, they have begun selling their own brand of reasonably priced, high-quality prescription lenses to partner opticians. Previously, they only sold frames, but now they've expanded their offerings to include prescription lenses. The results were quick to show, with lens purchase contracts completed with over 170 opticians within just three months of business launch.

ROUNZ's recent private label (PB) eyewear products include 'ROUNZ Standard' prescription lenses and 'ROUNZ Basic' frames. ROUNZ has explained that the demand for their PB products, eyeglass frames and prescription lenses, is synergistically increasing rapidly.

Especially, starting this month, ROUNZ is providing the 'ROUNZ Mirror' chock-full of ROUNZ's technology and know-how for free to opticians trading with ROUNZ depending on their partner level. In optician stores, using the ROUNZ Mirror, customers can be provided an experience similar to actually trying on glasses, even for products not displayed in the store, thanks to the virtual fitting feature, and without the need for an optometrist or a salesperson, they can be provided with information such as the price and detailed information of the glasses being worn, purchase reviews, and recommendations for glasses that fit the customer's face shape.

Kim Myung-seop, the representative of ROUNZ, stated, "ROUNZ is innovating the entire eyewear market with services that satisfy both opticians and customers," and "For this innovation to continue, it is most important to grow together with existing opticians, and to that end, ROUNZ will continue to focus on expanding cooperation with opticians." He added, "I sincerely thank the partners who have been with ROUNZ so far, and in the future, ROUNZ will continue to suggest various ways for opticians to increase their customers through ROUNZ.”