Warby Parker, known for its prescription eyeglasses and designer sunglasses, is opening Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022 at Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township. The opening is months earlier than initially anticipated by the chain.

Trendy eyewear company Warby Parker is opening at Lehigh Valley Mall earlier than expected.

The prescription eyeglass and designer sunglass retailer initially was planning to open this spring in space that previously housed the Coach store at the Whitehall Township shopping destination. A chain spokeswoman told lehighvalleylive.com this week the retailer now plans to open this Saturday in the space between Pepper Palace and White House Black Market.

The location will offer eye exams and carry the chain’s full sun and optical eyewear offerings, including the new Spring 2022 and “Sculpted Series” collections, which launched Tuesday, as well as the first brand of daily contact lenses, “Scout by Warby Parker” and third-party contacts.

Additionally, Warby Parker is partnering with artist Marian Bailey to create a custom mural for the regional store. Patrons will receive a print of the mural with purchase in celebration of the store’s grand opening, the spokeswoman said.

A rendering of the interior of the new Warby Parker store, which plans to open Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022 at Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township.

Warby Parker is known for offering patrons the option to try on eyeglasses before visiting a store with the company’s free “Home Try-On” program. The program allows for up to five frames for five days with free shipping. The company also has a program for patrons to upload a selfie and try on frames virtually through a mobile app.

The company’s pride is in “cutting out the middleman,” designing and producing its own eyewear, and then passing on the savings onto customers. In turn, it sells glasses at lower prices by eliminating multiple markups. Patrons can receive designer-quality prescription glasses, starting at $95, as well as contacts, and receive eye exams and vision tests both online and in brick-and-mortar stores, according to the company’s website.

Warby Parker was founded in 2010 by four Wharton MBA graduates, according to Wharton Magazine and multiple published business reports. The business began as an e-commerce operation from their Philadelphia-based apartments to now spanning more than 160 brick-and-mortar locations nationally and in Canada. The company currently is headquartered in New York City.

The name “Warby Parker” derives from two characters that appear in a journal by author Jack Kerouac.

The Whitehall location will be Warby Parker’s first regional location. The next closest location is at King of Prussia Mall. Both Lehigh Valley Mall and King of Prussia Mall are owned by Simon Property Group Inc. The opening is expected to create about a dozen jobs in Whitehall Township.

Warby Parker joins several other new additions at the mall.

Almost Vegan Pescatarian Cafe recently opened on the upper level in space previously occupied by Subway next to Macy’s. Shake Shack opened on Dec. 28 next to Dave & Buster’s, a restaurant and entertainment hub that opened in October 2020. Bravo! Cucina Italiana reopened under new ownership in late October. Big Bank Couture, selling comfortable and trendy urban apparel, also opened in October between The Children’s Place and Kay Jewelers on the upper level.

More recent openings, according to the mall’s website, include Little TrenzSetters Boutique, on the lower level near Macy’s; Mama Jojo One Stop Shop, on the upper level near JCPenney; and Pepper Palace, which moved into the former Yankee Candle space at the mall’s Lifestyle Center.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.

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