Innovative Eyewear Partners with Eye Recommend, Expanding Smart Eyewear Access Across 600+ Independent Optometry Stores

Rhea-AI Summary

Innovative Eyewear (NASDAQ: LUCY) has formed a strategic partnership with Eye Recommend to distribute its smart eyewear products across more than 600 independent optical practices in Canada. The partnership will expand the availability of Innovative Eyewear's brands including Lucyd®, Nautica®, Eddie Bauer® and Reebok® throughout the Canadian market.

A key highlight is the distribution of Lucyd Armor™ smart safety glasses, which recently received CSA certification for workplace safety use in Canada. Eye Recommend, as a buying group, will facilitate simplified billing and provide continuing education training to eye care professionals, making it easier for independent optometrists to access Innovative Eyewear's products.

Positive

• Partnership expands distribution to 600+ new retail locations in Canada
• Recent CSA certification obtained for Lucyd Armor™ smart safety glasses
• Access to Eye Recommend's consolidated billing system and professional network

Negative

• Company acknowledges challenges in current trade environment with Canada

Insights

Retail Distribution Specialist

Partnership with Eye Recommend gives Innovative Eyewear access to 600+ Canadian optical practices, significantly expanding distribution for their smart eyewear brands.

This partnership with Eye Recommend represents a significant distribution milestone for Innovative Eyewear, instantly connecting their smart eyewear products to over 600 independent optical practices across Canada. The strategic value extends beyond mere shelf space – optical professionals provide critical fitting services and product education that consumer electronics retailers cannot match.

The timing aligns perfectly with their recently obtained CSA certification for Lucyd Armor™ smart safety glasses, creating a dual-market approach: fashion-oriented consumer products through their licensed brands (Nautica®, Eddie Bauer®, Reebok®) alongside workplace safety applications. This diversification could help mitigate category risk in the still-evolving smart eyewear market.

The buying group model that Eye Recommend employs offers consolidated purchasing power and simplified billing for independent optometrists, streamlining the logistical challenges of working with hundreds of individual locations. While no financial terms or minimum purchase commitments are disclosed, this partnership eliminates the need for Innovative Eyewear to build direct Canadian retail infrastructure or negotiate with individual practices.

Though the CEO acknowledges unspecified "challenges" in the current trade environment, this expansion demonstrates commitment to the Canadian market. For a specialized product category like smart eyewear, securing professional optical channels may prove more effective than traditional consumer electronics retail or direct-to-consumer approaches.

Wearable Technology Analyst

Canadian distribution partnership enhances Innovative Eyewear's market reach while CSA certification opens workplace safety applications for their smart glasses.

This Eye Recommend partnership establishes a professional distribution network across Canada for Innovative Eyewear's technology-enabled eyewear portfolio. The arrangement goes beyond traditional retail by incorporating the crucial element of optical expertise – essential for products that combine vision correction with technology functionality.

The most compelling aspect is the strategic connection to their recently CSA-certified Lucyd Armor™ smart safety glasses. Workplace safety applications potentially offer more immediate adoption than consumer use cases, as they provide tangible functional benefits within established safety protocols. The Canadian Standards Association certification represents a significant regulatory milestone that validates these products for workplace deployment throughout Canada.

Innovative Eyewear's multi-brand approach utilizing established names (Lucyd®, Nautica®, Eddie Bauer®, Reebok®) enables targeted positioning across different market segments and aesthetic preferences. This diversification allows them to reach various consumer types through a single distribution channel.

Beyond physical distribution, Eye Recommend provides valuable continuing education resources to member practices, creating opportunities for optometrists to better understand and communicate the benefits of smart eyewear technology. While the press release doesn't specify implementation timeline or revenue projections, this partnership substantially expands Innovative Eyewear's potential market reach in Canada, particularly for their workplace safety products.

MIAMI, May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovative Eyewear, Inc. (NASDAQ: LUCY | LUCYW), the developer of smart eyewear under the Lucyd®, Nautica®, Eddie Bauer® and Reebok® brands, today announces that it has partnered with Eye Recommend to provide its smart eyewear to more than 600 independent optical practices across Canada, significantly broadening accessibility of Innovative Eyewear's smart eyewear throughout the Canadian market.

Buying groups like Eye Recommend serve an important function in the optical industry landscape, making it easier for independent optometrists to access a wide variety of frame and lens products, while offering simplified, consolidated billing. Eye Recommend also supports its members by providing continuing education training and other essential resources to eye care professionals.

Harrison Gross, CEO of Innovative Eyewear commented, "I am truly pleased to partner with Eye Recommend to bring our cutting-edge optical smart eyewear to patients and practitioners across Canada. Together we will work to introduce smart eyewear into hundreds of optical stores, delivering an unparalleled blend of sight, sound, and seamless connectivity that only Innovative Eyewear can provide. In particular, we are very excited to offer our Lucyd Armor™ smart safety glasses in more Canadian points of sale, on the heels of our recent CSA (Canadian Standards Association) certification on the product for safety use in Canadian workplaces. While the current trade environment has presented new challenges, we remain unwavering in our commitment to providing innovative optical solutions to our close friends and neighbours to the north."

Lee Raffey, CEO at Eye Recommend, added "At Eye Recommend, we're committed to delivering exceptional value to our members, and this partnership reflects that promise. By welcoming a forward-thinking eyewear brand, such as Innovative Eyewear, into our offerings, we're empowering our practices with access to cutting-edge products that enhance patient experiences and support business growth."

About Innovative Eyewear, Inc.

Innovative Eyewear is a developer of cutting-edge ChatGPT enabled smart eyewear, under the Lucyd®, Nautica®, Eddie Bauer® and Reebok® brands. True to our mission to Upgrade Your Eyewear®, our Bluetooth audio glasses allow users to stay safely and ergonomically connected to their digital lives and are offered in hundreds of frame and lens combinations to meet the needs of the optical market. To learn more and explore our continuously evolving collection of smart eyewear, please visit www.lucyd.co.

About Eye Recommend

Eye Recommend is a network of independent optometry clinics across Canada. They are a cooperative dedicated to providing value and expertise to its members. They leverage the power of their network to bring the best technology, resources, and services to provide its members the advantages required to grow their independent clinics. Their resources extend beyond typical buying group functions and include MyDryEye.ca, MyMyopia.ca, Eye Care Collective buying group, Jobs4ECPs.com, and Optometry Unleashed podcast. Eye Recommend members remain committed to improving patient eye care through continued education, training, and technology. To learn more please visit www.eyerecommend.ca

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including those relating to our partnership with Eye Recommend. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and assumptions. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe-harbor for forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "future," "intend," "may," "outlook," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected launch date for the new smart safety eyewear connection. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K under the caption "Risk Factors."

Investor Relations Contact:
Scott Powell, Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC
+1 (646) 893-5835 | scott@skylineccg.com

Media Contact:
Sai Main
Email: press@society22pr.com

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SOURCE Innovative Eyewear, Inc.

FAQ

What is the partnership between Innovative Eyewear (LUCY) and Eye Recommend?

Innovative Eyewear has partnered with Eye Recommend to distribute its smart eyewear products across 600+ independent optical practices in Canada, offering brands like Lucyd, Nautica, Eddie Bauer, and Reebok.

How many stores will carry Innovative Eyewear's (LUCY) products in Canada?

Through the Eye Recommend partnership, Innovative Eyewear's products will be available in more than 600 independent optical practices across Canada.

What brands does Innovative Eyewear (LUCY) offer in its smart eyewear lineup?

Innovative Eyewear offers smart eyewear under the brands Lucyd, Nautica, Eddie Bauer, and Reebok.

Has Lucyd Armor received certification for use in Canadian workplaces?

Yes, Lucyd Armor smart safety glasses have received CSA (Canadian Standards Association) certification for safety use in Canadian workplaces.