Sunglasses Business

3 Sunglasses Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 6th, 2024

Love stylish accessories? Starting a sunglasses business might be your perfect venture. It’s all about sourcing high-quality shades, creating a unique brand, and selling directly to consumers.

You'll handle selecting designs, working with manufacturers, and setting up an online store. Focus on marketing through social media and partnerships with influencers to gain traction.

This business requires a blend of creativity and practical management, but it offers the exciting opportunity to build a brand people love. If you’ve got an eye for fashion and an entrepreneurial spirit, sunglasses could be your ticket to a rewarding business.

In this list, you'll find real-world sunglasses business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a sunglasses business that makes money.

1. Woodies ($2.28M/year)

Cory had previously launched a semi-successful watch brand. Due to his watch business, he traveled a couple of times to China, and after one of the trips, he came back with the idea for wood sunglasses. Wood sunglasses seemed awesome so Cody tried to jump on them early. He was able to sell 8,000 glasses in a week with a launch on Groupon.

How much money it makes: $2.28M/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 1

Woodies Sunglasses: $3.5 Million Per Year With One Employee

Woodies, a wood sunglasses brand founded by Cory Stout, reached over $3.5M in revenue in 2018, despite starting with only $15K from a failed business and has succeeded through Amazon sales, spending $50K monthly on PPC and keeping ACOS at 30%.

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2. Tomahawk Shades ($240K/year)

Andrew Shapiro, the co-founder and CEO of Tomahawk Shades, came up with the idea for his eyewear brand while doing a business management project in college. After purchasing glasses from another company, he decided to take things further and identify manufacturers, leading to the birth of Tomahawk Shades. With a focus on affordable yet high-quality eyewear, the brand has experienced a 175% increase in sales year over year.

How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 3

My Twin & I Started A $240K/Year Premium Eyewear Brand [With Just $200]

Tomahawk Shades, co-founded by Andrew Shapiro and his twin brother, Ryan Shapiro, is an eyewear brand that has seen a 175% increase in sales year over year, focusing on small batches of quality acetate, with an e-commerce business acting as its main area of focus to release new ideas and products.

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3. Grown Eyewear ($168K/year)

Jeff Phillips, the founder of GROWN® Eyewear, came up with the idea for his business while watching a documentary about an eye doctor named Fred Hollows. Inspired by Hollows' selfless work providing eye treatments to those in need, Phillips decided to create a company that would "do only good." He chose to design and sell sustainable wood and bamboo sunglasses, using profits to fund eye surgeries and help orphaned animals.

How much money it makes: $168K/year
How many people on the team: 4

Starting A Wooden Sunglasses Brand And Getting on Shark Tank

GROWN® Eyewear is Australia's first sustainable wood and bamboo sunglasses company that fully funds sight-restoring eye surgery or diagnostic exams for children or supports orphaned or injured animals in the country; the average monthly revenue is $25,000.

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