The Barcelona entrepreneur Lydia Martinez has promoted a platform for the sale of luxury glasses on her own account that in just one year has managed to invoice 1.8 million euros. The company, called Eyewear Club, owes its growth to a total commitment to social networks and influencers.
“Through our platform, we sell limited edition glasses, fashion show products that are very difficult to find in conventional opticians. This is how we respond to a market niche that to date was not covered”, says Martinez, who founded the business in 2021 after gaining experience in international fashion and luxury companies such as Kering, Safilo or De Rigo.
Since then, the Barcelona company has closed distribution agreements with brands such as Alaia, Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Chloe, Dita, Dunhill, Brioni, Prada, Versace, Saint Laurent, among others. Recently, Martinez comments that he has also closed an agreement with the Barcelona brand Gigi Studios.
"In this financial year, we have the forecast of invoicing 4 million euros, more than double the previous year, due to the growth in the supply of brands and online distribution channels", points out Martinez. The business is in the category of sunglasses –which contribute 95% of total revenue– and in the luxury segment: the average price of its catalog is around 260 or 270 euros.
Since its inception, the company has been financed with its own resources, ruling out the entry of investment funds. The founder assures that the company is profitable, that it has an ebitda (gross profit) of 18% and that for this reason at the moment she is not interested in the entry of venture capital.
With only four workers on staff and just two years in the market, Eyewear Club has managed to expand the business to 75 countries. However, Martinez points out that 60% of the activity is concentrated in four markets: the United Kingdom, South Korea, Spain and the United States.
In the future, the company wants to boost its presence on other social networks such as TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest. For this, it has signed Gigi Vives as creative director of the brand. In the near future, the company also plans to launch collections alongside emerging brands from local artists. And also boost their sales in Germany, Italy, the United States and Australia.
