A full-service eyecare facility isn’t something you’d expect to find inside a Staples store, but four Philadelphia-area Staples are now hosting store-in-store locations for Stanton Optical, a division of Now Optics, and there may be more on the way this year.
The Staples-Stanton Optical partnership, announced in August 2025, may seem counterintuitive, but it’s also quite logical. Staples gets a foot-traffic builder for these stores, along with an additional service it can offer to both consumers and business customers. Stanton Optical gets another opportunity to “modernize the eyecare experience and to make eyecare easy,” according to Now Optics CEO Daniel Stanton in an interview with Retail TouchPoints.
Simplifying eyecare by providing “quality product at a good price point that’s accessible for customers” has been the driving force behind Stanton Optical since its 2006 founding, Stanton said, adding, “We were pioneers in the telehealth space, and we’ve seen more than four million patients” remotely over the years.
It’s been a formula for success: Now Optics operates 300 stores in 33 states under the Stanton Optical and My Eyelab banners. The company also supports optical telehealth solutions via the proprietary IRIS SaaS solution.
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The Staples shop-in-shops range from 800 to 2,500 square feet, depending on the individual store’s layout. They offer same-day eye exams, prescription eyewear supported by on-site optical labs capable of producing single-vision lenses in as little as 30 minutes, along with best-selling frames and popular contact lens brands. The locations also are designed to accommodate expanded future services, such as advanced dry eye treatment and Optical Coherence Tomography imaging.
The four Philadelphia-area Staples locations with the shop-in-shops are located in Wayne, Springfield, Bensalem and Willow Grove, Pa., and all locations hosted grand openings on Feb. 18. Shoppers received a free eye exam with no purchase necessary and co-branded tote bags with complimentary non-prescription sunglasses.
Shop-in-Shops Grew Out of Employee Vision Plan Discussions
Putting Stanton Optical locations inside Staples stores wasn’t the initial idea when these companies began talking. “We were discussing providing a vision plan to Staples that they could offer to their associates,” said Stanton. Those discussions led to the idea of opening a store-in-store in geographic areas where Staples has large distribution centers or corporate offices, and thus many associates potentially requiring eyecare.
The store-in-stores also “fit into Staples’ strategy right now, to find different ways to service the customers coming into their stores,” said Stanton. “And because Staples also offers services that fill the needs of a lot of different businesses, we saw that there might be synergies with companies that didn’t currently offer vision plans.
“The idea is that Staples and Stanton Optical create value together,” Stanton added. “Our relationship with them has evolved with mutual consideration and alignment.”
“Staples is excited to add Stanton Optical to the services we offer in our stores, giving customers a fast, convenient and affordable way to access trusted eye care,” said Marshall Warkentin, President, Staples U.S. Retail in a statement. “This partnership reflects our commitment to delivering reliable services and expert solutions that support the everyday needs of the people we serve, and we look forward to welcoming the Philadelphia community to experience it firsthand.”
Strong Growth Prospects for Brick-and-Mortar
Stanton Optical’s entrance into Staples is just one aspect of its brick-and-mortar growth, which saw the retailer open 30 locations in 2024, 40 in 2025, and establishing plans for an additional 40 in 2026.
“By this time next year, we could have 70 new stores close to maturing,” said Stanton. That “maturing” is important because of the long purchase cycles for eyewear; Stanton noted that it can take two to three years for a location to begin to have a measurable impact on its community, particularly if the store is in a totally new market.
Stanton also sees potential growth in the Staples partnership, with the possibility of creating similar deals with other retailers. “I could really see our Staples partnership starting to mature,” said Stanton. “We might also be looking at offering similar service capabilities in other large retailers. I believe our differentiated offering will allow us to continue to take more market share.”
