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I didn't realize they had retail locations, the employee count makes much more sense when you're running retail locations. I thought they were just a mail order
by astura 8y ago
I didn't realize they had retail locations, the employee count makes much more sense when you're running retail locations. I thought they were just a mail order company.
I think what really threw me off was "welcome balloons on desks" which heavily implies (at least to me) all of employees have desk jobs.
- weberc2 8y agoThis thread exemplifies why employee count isn't suitable as even a rough indicator of corporate performance.
- chrisco255 8y agoWhat is? Revenue per employee or net profit per employee?
- quickthrower2 8y agoProfit? Cashflow?
- izzydata 8y agoAverage salary excluding executives.
- Spivak 8y agoAverage with a blacklist seems like it's just a worse median.
- astura 8y agoHow so? Anyone can burn through VC funds, how does that ability measure "corporate performance?" Even if you aren't VC funded, you can burn through all your profit easily overpaying your employees and go into debt, but that means just the opposite, in that case you have poor corporate performance and the business isn't sustainable.
- izzydata 8y agoYou are right. I wasn't trying to come up with a serious determinate of business success. Maybe a minor factor of a complicated formula.
- jeklj 8y agoDon't worry, the average half-cocked HN "why do they need so many employees to sell widgets?!" post doesn't bother with details either. It must feel great to post that, because people do it constantly.
- slg 8y agoI went to a retail Warby Parker for the first time a few weeks ago and was a little surprised that it was basically just a showroom. If you actually purchased prescription glasses, which I imagine is an overwhelming majority of their sales, you would get the glasses in the mail just as if you ordered online or through the app. The only real benefit to the retail store is to try on more than the max of 5 glasses that you are allowed in a single home trial order. It makes me wonder whether those physical stores are actually a smart investment for the company.
- twunde 8y agoThe other benefits I've had is that the retail stores can adjust the glasses to fit. Additionally at least a few of the retail locations will do eye exams, so you can get your eyes examined, get your new prescription and pick out your glasses at the same store, which is useful.
- lowercased 8y agodidn't gateway try this approach? come look at the products, try them out, then order and get in the mail?
- astura 8y agoIsn't this basically the same as many/most glasses shops, at least the ones that are in independent eye doctor offices? Every time I've gotten glasses I've always just tried on the frames, gotten my pupillary distance measured, and then they put in the order. A week or so later they'd call me to tell me my glasses are in and I'd go pick them up. I guess it was always implied they come from a factory somewhere. Lately I've just been ordering the frames online and I'd bring them the frames and they'd measure my pupillary distance, and put the order in.
- slg 8y agoIt depends on who you feel they are competing with. The traditional independent optometrist office glasses stores normally function the same way. Yet I don't see those as the true competitor since those get you into the door with the doctor's appointment (and also don't necessarily have to support themselves purely through sales). I think Warby Parker is more competing with the mass market mall glasses stores like Lenscrafters or Pearle Vision which do everything in house and can turn around a pair of prescription lenses in an hour or so.