July 1 is the start of the fiscal year for a lot of governments and other entities; however, this year, Saturday, July 1 means something special for Friendly Shopping Center: The day marks the store opening at the center of the very popular eyeglasses vendor Warby Parker.

The company, which began in Philadelphia in 2010, gained national popularity as an online retailer known for affordable prices. These days, however, the company is offering much more of a brick-and-mortar presence in North Carolina and in other states. The new Greensboro store – the first in the Triad– will be Warby Parker’s seventh in North Carolina.

Promotional material for the store opening states that, “As a one-stop shop, our Friendly Center location will make it easier for our Greensboro customers to access all of their vision care needs.“

The store at Friendly will offer eye exams and carry the company’s full line of optical eyewear offerings – including sun glasses and a new Summer 2023 line of eyeglasses.

It will also carry Warby Parker’s contact lenses brand – Scout – in addition to third-party contacts.

The Friendly Center location will be decorated with custom store murals by North Carolina native Ivey Hayes.

The company is currently hiring to staff the store at Friendly.

The new line of glasses was inspired by, among other influences, “1970s vacation culture, outdoor exploration, and classic coastal retreats.”

Warby Parker now has stores across the US and Canada – though, for years, the company’s spectacles were known in North Carolina and many other parts of the country for the company’s “Home-Try-On program.”

Under that program, customers could select up to five eyeglass frames from the website, receive those in the mail and have five days to try them on at home at no charge. After making the selection and sending the frames back, the customer would get the new pair of glasses delivered with prescription lenses.

About