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Bailey Nelson

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Bailey Nelson
IndustryOphthalmic and dispensing opticians
Founded2012; 12 years ago (2012) in Sydney
FounderNick Perry, Peter Winkle
HeadquartersSydney,
Australia
Number of locations
100
Area served
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States
Websitehttps://baileynelson.com.au, https://baileynelson.com, https://baileynelson.co.nz

Bailey Nelson (registered as Ben Buckler Eyewear Limited[1]) is an Australian multinational optical retail chain, which operates mainly in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Bailey Nelson is, as of 2021, a privately held company.

The chain offers optician services for eyesight testing and sells glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses. Blue light filters have been available for an additional fee on Bailey Nelson glasses as early as Jan 2019, if not earlier.[2]

The company has more than 100 branches in Australia, New Zealand and Canada .[3][4]

History

[edit]

Bailey Nelson was founded in 2012 by Nick Perry and Peter Winkle in the Bondi Beach area of Sydney, NSW.[1][3][5] Perry says they received no outside funding at the start, investing $80,000 of their own savings.[5]

The company started with offering glasses and ventured into contact lenses (including their own store brand) in 2016, if not earlier.[6] They introduced optometry services in their stores in 2014.[5]

They started their operations in Australia. Bailey Nelson entered Canada in 2014, though had to shut stores in 2017 due to severing a "licensee agreement". They have since re-entered the Canadian market.[7][8] In 2019, they "continue(d) to aggressively expand" in Canada, with 15 stores as of November 2019, with the plan to "open seven to eight locations (in the 2019 financial year)".[9] In 2015, they had 4 branches in the UK.[10] Also in 2015, they opened up shop in Wellington, New Zealand.[11]

The company ceased operations in the United Kingdom in May 2023, closing their two shops in London and their online store.[12]

Business strategy and partnerships

[edit]

Part of the way in which Bailey Nelson, and other companies like them, are able to stay competitive is by changing suppliers, and likely working with more independent producers. High level, Bailey Nelson states their purpose is to bypass the "unfair and overpriced" eyewear market with direct-to-consumer alternatives.[13] The product is vertically integrated, with acetate frames designed in-house in Sydney and produced in factories overseas. [8][14][15] They also focus strongly on a luxury in-store experience, with the aim to turn a "clinical" optician and glasses purchase process into "one of life’s pleasures."[16][14]

At a product level, Bailey Nelson started with optical glasses and sunglasses, later expanding to contact lenses.[17] They also offer blue light filters, though some doubt their efficacy.[18] By default their optical and sunglasses have anti-glare and scratch resistant coatings included in the price.[10][19][20][21]

All frames are designed in house and produced by manufacturers in China.[22] The acetate they source is from the company Mazzucchelli 1849, based in Italy.[23][24][25][26] Mazzuchhelli also assisted them in choosing factories to partner with.[5]

Bailey Nelson have reentered the partnership opportunity space,[clarification needed] this time in New Zealand and Australia. It's a co-investment model that allows optometrists to own a portion of a Bailey Nelson location, while Bailey Nelson - in short - manages the overhead costs like systems, training, supply chain and other support systems.[27][28][29]

In Australia, they collaborated with Eugene Tan, the founder and photographer of Aquabumps, in 2015 to launch a capsule sunglasses collection available for a limited time.[30][31]

In 2019, 2020[32] and 2021,[33] Bailey Nelson participated in "Afterpay day", also known as AfterYAY day. In many of the countries they operate in, they also offer student discounts or limited-time offers, including Black Friday deals.[34][35][36]

In 2020, they responded to COVID-19 by shutting all stores globally, by 27 Mar.[37] By 21 Nov 2020, stores in Australia were re-opening in line with individual state guidelines.[38] Each individual region has had different and staggered responses to COVID-19 protocol. [39][40]

Business Future

[edit]

Co-founder Nick Perry stated in 2019 that in the Canadian market, their longer term goal was to be at 50 locations in Canada.[14][9][41] With this comes a three-part strategy: focus on optometry, build engaged, passionate staff, and deliver quality differentiating product. [16][41]This strategy is in part due to the differing medicare coverages of eyecare in Canada versus Australia, the market they started in.[41]

They also have private advisors, including Delaney Schweitzer.[41] As of March 2021, there have been reports of a new investment funding round via Goldman Sachs to help support reportedly aggressive growth plans in all markets in the coming years.[13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Current details for ABN 55 155 832 241". Australian Business Register. November 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  2. ^ Ward, Mary (2019-01-30). "Should you add a blue light filter to your glasses?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  3. ^ a b "Who We Are - Bailey Nelson Australia". baileynelson.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  4. ^ "Careers at Bailey Nelson - Bailey Nelson Australia". baileynelson.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  5. ^ a b c d Walsey, Alice (29 Oct 2020). "My first year in business: Pete Winkle". Afterpay Access. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  6. ^ Riches, Rhiannon (2016-07-27). "Growth spurt for young boutique group". Optometry Australia. Archived from the original on 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  7. ^ Sagan, Aleksandra (10 Apr 2017). "Global eyewear retailers like what they see in Canadian market". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  8. ^ a b Lau, Lucy (2017-07-10). "Australian eyewear line Bailey Nelson marks re-entry into Canadian market with Robson Street store". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on 2017-07-14. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  9. ^ a b Mario, Toneguzzi (2019-11-21). "Aussie Eyewear Retailer Bailey Nelson Continues Rapid Canadian Store Expansion". Retail Insider. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  10. ^ a b Lidbury, Oliva (9 Apr 2015). "Best alternative shops for prescription glasses - Telegraph". fashion.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-04-12. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  11. ^ Winter, Chloe (2015-12-27). "Australian eyewear retailer Bailey Nelson sets up shop in Wellington". Stuff. Archived from the original on 2018-12-03. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  12. ^ https://baileynelson.co.uk/pages/uk-store-closures/
  13. ^ a b Thompson, Sarah (2021-03-28). "Goldman Sachs has eyes on Bailey Nelson funding round". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 2021-03-28. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  14. ^ a b c Toneguzzi, Mario (2018-12-11). "Bailey Nelson Continues Canadian Store Expansion as it Enters New Markets". Retail Insider. Archived from the original on 2019-07-23. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  15. ^ Browne, Jennifer (2019-03-25). "Downtown Toronto Just Opened A Brand New Bailey Nelson Sunglasses Shop". Narcity. Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  16. ^ a b "Aussie Chain Bailey Nelson Plans 50 Stores in Canada". Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  17. ^ Pithers, Ellie. "When did glasses become cool?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  18. ^ Ward, Mary (2019-01-30). "Should you add a blue light filter to your glasses?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  19. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions - Bailey Nelson Australia". baileynelson.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  20. ^ McEwen, Julia. "The most stylish glasses brands you need to know about". Canadian Living. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  21. ^ Young, Sarah (2016-10-03). "9 best prescription frames". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  22. ^ "How Bailey Nelson Glasses Are Made - Bailey Nelson Australia". baileynelson.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  23. ^ "Bailey Nelson: Simply Sophisticated". mivision. 2019-03-28. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  24. ^ The Bailey Nelson Process - Introducing Mazzucchelli Acetate, retrieved 2021-05-03
  25. ^ "Popular eyewear brand Bailey Nelson opens new store in Calgary | Curated". dailyhive.com. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  26. ^ Bilodeau, Michelle (26 Jan 2018). "Forward-thinking eyewear makers are disrupting the industry in the best way". Archived from the original on 2018-01-27. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  27. ^ "Bailey Nelson targets optometrists for new partnership model". Insight. 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  28. ^ "Bailey Nelson Launches Business Partnership Model – mivision". Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  29. ^ "Partnership possibilities with Bailey Nelson". Optometry Australia. 2017-07-12. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  30. ^ Brooks, Emily; Verdouw, Emily (2016-05-06). "A Morning With Uge: The Man Behind The Aquabumps Lens". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  31. ^ "Dowse". Aquabumps. 2015-10-15. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  32. ^ Bailey, Jessica. "Australians Rejoice: Afterpay Is Having A Huge Two-Day Sale This Thursday + Friday". Grazia. Archived from the original on 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  33. ^ Santos, Chynna. "Afterpay Day Sale 2021". Broadsheet. Archived from the original on 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  34. ^ Harris, Alyeesha (10 Aug 2020). "The It List: Bailey Nelson extends eyewear offer to students, staff for back to school". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  35. ^ Wan, Agnes (9 Mar 2021). "Score Specs And Sunnies At 20% Off With This Sweet Student Discount". The Urban List. Archived from the original on 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  36. ^ "Bailey Nelson Announces Significant Black Friday Discounts". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  37. ^ Hansford, Tom (4 May 2020). "Optical Retailer Bailey Nelson Focuses on Elevating Online and In-store Customer Experiences". Oracle NetSuite. Archived from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  38. ^ "Bailey Nelson - Bailey Nelson Australia". baileynelson.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  39. ^ "Bailey Nelson - Bailey Nelson Canada". baileynelson.com. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  40. ^ "Our Response to COVID-19 in New Zealand - Bailey Nelson New Zealand". baileynelson.co.nz. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  41. ^ a b c d Dallaire, Justin (2020-02-25). "View from the C-Suite: How Bailey Nelson hopes to compete with Goliath". strategy. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
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