Japanese eyewear brand set for US expansion

Tokyo-based eyewear brand, Jins, is set for US expansion after it announced plans to open its first US flagship store in San Francisco this spring.

Jins has become Japan’s largest eyewear retailer by volume, operating more than 300 retail locations across Japan and China, due to its offering of high-quality, fashion-forward prescription and non-prescription eyewear at affordable prices.

Its debut US flagship store will be located at 151 Powell Street in Union Square, San Francisco, spanning across more than 4,900 square feet of retail space to hold one of the most expansive selections of eyeglasses in the city.

The store will house more than 1,200 different styles, priced between 60 and 120 dollars, including premium lenses, and will showcase to American customers that they can browse, purchase and receive their prescription eyewear with custom fitting all in the same visit, as all Jins prescription lenses are assembled in-store via its lens lab. Shoppers can receive their glasses from start to finish in approximately 30 minutes.

"We chose the Bay Area as our first stop in the US because it perfectly reflects Jins' progressive spirit and passion for innovation," said Shinsuke Tomita, president of Jins Eyewear US, Inc. "With the opening of the San Francisco store, we hope to change the way people think about shopping for glasses in the US. Similar to how we shop for shoes or jewellery, we want our customers to explore countless designs and colour options without being limited by the unnecessary complexities and inflated prices that are still the norm in the eyewear industry today."

To complement the new store, the Japanese eyewear brand is also launching its US e-commerce site, offering glasses to customers nationwide, as well as for local San Francisco/Bay Area residents the opportunity to purchase their glasses online and pick them up in the store on the same day.