Despite tense consumer sentiment and declining footfall in retail, the Swiss eyewear brand VIU Eyewear continues to consistently focus on brick-and-mortar retail. While the future of physical stores is being discussed in many places, the company is sticking to its retail strategy and is opening several new stores in Germany in 2026. The soft opening in Oldenburg’s city center in February was just the beginning. Five more locations are planned this year. Up to 15 more stores are expected to be added each year in the coming years.
From Online to Stores: A Strategic Evolution
In the early years, it was hardly imaginable that the eyewear brand would undergo a large-scale retail expansion in 2026. When it was founded in 2013, the last thing the Swiss eyewear brand thought about was a stationary offering or even an entire branch network. The original plan was to distribute the brand exclusively online. But it became clear early on that customers wanted to touch glasses, try them on and get advice. Four months after the initial sale, an opportunity finally arose as the company sought new office space.
“In Zurich, in the night and fog, we found a place that was a little out of the way but already had a small shop,” recalls Viu founder Kilian Wagner. “We thought: This would be a great test, we’ll build a store, work and sell there.”
The first reactions confirmed the decision. “Suddenly the customers stood there, picked up the product, received advice and decided on the product,” says Wagner. People who had previously gotten to know VIU online now had the courage to actually buy the product. This moment had a lasting impact on the company’s further development. After about five months, this dynamic was clearly recognized.
The first one or two years developed into an intensive learning and development phase in which VIU developed its omnichannel system – although not according to the classic e-commerce principle. The website does not primarily function as a sales channel, but rather as an entry point into the brand.
Over 90 percent of eye test appointments are booked there, customers get information, gather inspiration and find their nearest branch before they finally come to the store. Around 95 percent of sales take place there, says Nico apostle, Vice President Retail DACH. Digital tools now support the process more, but the fundamental question of trust remains.
Trust as key
One reason for the model’s success is that buying glasses is fundamentally different from buying fashion. While a t-shirt is bought regularly and most people know what suits them, buying glasses is much more complex – especially when buying for the first time. Many people don’t initially know exactly which shape suits them, what they like or which selection is the right one.
“Typical glasses buyers buy new glasses every four to five years,” explains Wagner. “The cycle is long, the purchase is often associated with an eye test, it’s about the eyes, something medical. Customers are doubly or triple insecure, both stylistically and functionally. The importance of stores and retail is therefore enormous.”
This realization led VIU to fully build its optical service chain – not as an additional offering, but as a core service. Full-time opticians in the store and vision tests are now basic components of the stationary offering. Around eighty percent of the products sold have a correction. It is also important for existing customers to have an eye test again after about two years. In addition, there is a transparent pricing and procurement policy, which Peter Kaeser, business co-founder of the brand, brought into the customer’s perspective from the start.
“The classic eyewear experience was too medical, not very emotional and expensive. Average prices in Switzerland are over 600 francs, in Germany over 400 euros. Production is heavily concentrated at EssilorLuxottica and a few other providers who control 70 to 80 percent of the world market,” explains Kaeser. “In addition, opticians set high margin markups, especially for glasses.”
VIU’s answer was clear: its own design, direct sales to end customers through its own stores and high quality at ‘fair prices’. “It’s not about luxury or exclusivity like Louis Vuitton, but about design, quality and storytelling. Customers receive a curated experience and trust in the brand.”
Strategic expansion instead of quantity
The market environment remains challenging, but expansion is being approached strategically and consciously. “Retail expansion is an opportunity for us because it creates trust locally,” explains apostle. Word of mouth remains a key growth factor because satisfied customers bring new customers. In addition to large cities, medium-sized locations are increasingly coming into focus. Oldenburg, for example, meets criteria such as purchasing power and centrality and fits the benchmarks of other brands such as Aesop or Closed.
“Instead of blindly pursuing quantitative expansion, we focus on selective, qualitative and sustainable growth,” adds apostle. A strategy that seems to be paying off: According to him, VIU has been growing in Germany with double-digit like-for-like growth for several years.
Founder Wagner also emphasizes the company’s controlled growth course: “We value the right fit, healthy growth and the optimal team composition. Expanding too quickly can cause errors in the choice of location and team formation. Furthermore, we are not a Fielmann, with over 600 stores in Germany. We still have a lot of potential, but that is not our goal.”
How much VIU wants to differentiate itself from classic optician chains is also reflected in its strategic positioning. Originally, the company was strongly influenced by its design DNA, with a focus on curated lifestyle. Today, the combination of design, storytelling and optical expertise forms the central differentiating feature.
“Over time, we recognized the importance of optics, built up the know-how and strengthened our positioning. Today it is crucial to combine lifestyle and optics in order to build trust and sustainable brand relationships,” reveals Wagner. Last year, VIU communicated its optical story even more strongly, for example about the origin of the lenses from Switzerland and Germany, and thus further expanded trust. That’s why VIU no longer sees its stores as just sales areas, but as places where curated design meets advice, service and storytelling.
“The stores are more than sales points. They are brand worlds, designed by Fabrice Aeberhard, our design co-founder. Each store follows a clear DNA and creates a harmonious experience. The concept combines transparency, high design standards, quality and a fair overall experience,” explains Wagner. Here, customers not only experience a product, but also the story behind it, which creates trust.
“In the store we often tell the story of an Italian family business that we have worked with from the beginning, now in the second generation. The story of how glasses are made triggers significantly more emotions than if you just list the shapes or describe styles.”
