Target Teams With Warby Parker for in-Store Eyewear Shopping

Target is opening a series of “shop-in-shops” in partnership with eyewear maker Warby Parker.

The collaboration, announced Thursday (Feb. 27), will bring five “Warby Parker at Target” outposts to stores around the country, and comes at a time when Target and other retailers are dealing with consumer pullbacks.

“We’ve long offered our guests well-designed products at a value, and our latest shop-in-shop partnership with Warby Parker continues that tradition,” Christina Hennington, Target’s executive vice president and chief strategy and growth officer, said in a news release.

“Warby Parker at Target reflects both brands’ commitment to style, affordability, quality and convenience. As we test and learn with this new partnership — bringing Warby Parker’s expertise into select stores — we’re enticing new consumers to discover more of Target.”

The first five shop-in-shops will open at stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Minnesota, Ohio and Illinois in the second half of the year, with more locations to follow in 2026. The partnership is geared toward stores that don’t offer the Target Optical program, the release added.

The partnership is happening at a moment when retailers are dealing with a number of stressors, including tariffs, inflation and weak consumer demand, as PYMNTS wrote Thursday.

“Uncertainty seems to be the buzzword of earnings calls,” Neil Saunders, managing director of retail at research firm GlobalData, said in an interview with PYMNTS.

“Going into this year, a lot of retailers are very nervous about various aspects of policy, particularly tariffs. They fear both the cost implications for their businesses and the dampening impact higher prices would have on spending. We are seeing this come out in guidance.”

“Consumers feel the pinch of inflation, shifting their focus to essentials like groceries and health products while cutting back on discretionary items like apparel and electronics,” added RetailBoss founder and CEO Jeanel Alvarado. “For shoppers, this means fewer splurges and more strategic spending.”

Research by PYMNTS Intelligence shows some of the strain facing consumers, with two-thirds saying they depend on their next paycheck to cover their bills.

Both Walmart and Amazon, the report noted, were cautious during their earnings calls recently.

Amazon’s projected revenue of $151 billion to $155.5 billion for the first quarter fell short of the $158 billion forecast, while Walmart’s projected Q1 sales growth in the United States of 3% to 4% came in under analyst expectations.