JINS Eyewear, Japan's largest eyewear brand by volume, officially announced today that the doors to its first U.S. flagship store will open to the public on April 10, 2015. Located in San Francisco's shopping mecca, Union Square along Powell Street, the JINS U.S. flagship store will provide a massive and beautifully designed 4,900 square feet of eyewear retail space, and will house more than 1,200 different styles of JINS exclusive eyewear.
A New Way to Shop for Glasses
JINS is an early innovator in creating high-quality, high-style prescription and nonprescription eyewear at affordable prices since 2001. It has also become well-known for raising the bar with unique shopping experiences – its stores in Japan push boundaries with their bright, inviting designs and other distinctive elements. JINS hopes to bring this innovative approach to members of the U.S. market who want a personalized, hands-on experience when buying glasses.
At the heart of the store will be Kanna, an intricately-designed robot that edges high-quality, aspheric lenses on-site while customers wait. That means, instead of waiting weeks for glasses, customers can browse the store, purchase and receive their prescription eyewear with custom fitting all in the same visit. From start to finish, the experience takes about 30 minutes, but shoppers are encouraged to take their time and enjoy all the store has to offer.
Beautifully Serene Store Design
When you enter the store, you will notice only one thing: the eyewear on display, as there are few distractions to get between you and your exploration. JINS collaborated with San Francisco architecture firm Kwan Henmi to create a unique, gallery-like retail setting that artfully blends nature with minimalism.
"Eyeglasses are small, delicate objects that might get lost in a large space, but we made sure that they are easy to touch and try on, by organizing them in a system of simple, well-lit, repetitive grids," said Denis Henmi, President and CEO of Kwan Henmi. "This simplicity and accessibility has deep roots in the JINS brand, and are qualities that recur throughout our store design."
Japanese Craftsmanship Meets San Francisco Style
Every pair of JINS glasses is artfully designed by a team in Tokyo and is created with the passion and spirit of Japanese craftsmanship, using superior materials, and metal frame parts sourced exclusively from Japan.
Currently, there are four featured styles of JINS frames in the U.S.:
With JINS' range of colors, frames and lenses, you can discover your personal style and express individuality regardless of cost because JINS glasses and sunglasses are accessibly priced from $60-120, including premium lenses.
Celebrate San Francisco – Near and Far
Commemorating the first U.S. store opening in San Francisco, JINS has partnered with two local non-profits, San Francisco Baykeeper and Wildlife Conservation Network, for "Cases for Causes" – a collection of unique eyeglass cases inspired by the organizations' missions. The cases will be displayed in-store and when you purchase one, 100% of all sales will go toward the selected non-profit.
Don't live in San Francisco? No worries – JINS will supplement its unique in-store experience with the launch of its U.S. e-commerce site on April 10, 2015. Now, customers nationwide will be able to purchase JINS eyewear online with an existing prescription, and Bay Area residents will have the opportunity to purchase their glasses online and pick them up in-store on the same day.