Google Jumps First In AI Glasses Race

Plus: Warby Parker tests Target shop-in-shops for omnichannel lift

Author

Avinash Duggempudi
August 27, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

ClickZ Eyewear

Here's what's happening this week in the world of eyewear eCommerce and digital retail:
- Google puts Gemini in smart glasses, ships this fall.
- Warby Parker tests Target shop-in-shops for vision care.
- Kendra Scott launches sun and optical with Marchon.
- Oakley x Meta aims AR at athletes and teams.

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📌WEEKLY MUST-KNOWS

Google confirmed AI-first smart glasses for a fall 2025 launch, built on Android XR with deep Gemini integration and optional in-lens display. The move shifts wearables toward ambient, hands-free assistance and opens a new Android XR app surface. Impacted: eyewear OEMs, fashion partners like Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, and developers building multimodal, context-aware experiences.

Target will pilot Warby Parker shop-in-shops across five US locations in H2 2025, offering exams, glasses, contacts, and vision tests run by Warby Parker staff. The test expands Warby’s access-driven model into mass retail, pressures big-box optical incumbents, and provides a playbook for scalable omnichannel acquisition. Affected: retail ops, insurance integration, and local eye-care partnerships.

Kendra Scott launched 31 sun and optical styles with Marchon, rolling out across optical chains, department stores, Visionworks, Eyemart Express, brand stores, and online starting Sept. 10. The fashion-to-optical move leverages multigenerational brand equity and philanthropy to accelerate sell-in and unlocks licensed growth through VSP Vision’s network. Impacted: optical buyers, merchandising, and DTC campaign planning.

Finlay partnered with Noel Gallagher on limited-edition acetate shades in three colors, donating 25 percent of each sale to Teenage Cancer Trust. Celebrity-led capsules remain a fast path to attention and premium pricing, especially when tied to cause marketing during global tours. Affected: PR, affiliate, and drop-based merchandising teams.

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⚡QUICK READS

Meta Hypernova Display Glasses Tipped For September: CNBC reports Meta will unveil monocular-display Hypernova glasses with wristband gesture controls around $800 at Connect 2025, signaling an HMI-first AR path and midmarket pricing pressure.(More)

Meta And Oakley Target Athletes With AR Frames: Bloomberg tipped Oakley-branded “Supernova 2” sport glasses shifting cameras to the bridge, expanding smart eyewear into performance use cases and sponsorship-ready SKUs.(More)

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