Start-up spectacle company sees growth with Asda deal
A Birmingham entrepreneur is celebrating after his start-up spectacle company Cambridge Spectacle Co secured a nationwide retail deal with supermarket giant Asda less than a year after the company was founded.
To mark the start of the retail partnership, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street cut the ribbon at the regional launch of the brand in Asda Minworth.
Ahmed Ejaz, founder of Cambridge Spectacle Co, was inspired to start his brand in 2021 after starting out as an optometrist. His career change came after he realised many of his patients struggled to find stylish spectacles that they could afford.
He said: “As an optometrist, I realised from speaking to my customers that lots of people felt that existing glasses on the market didn’t cater for them. They wanted the stylish look of a designer brand without paying the high-end prices that designer brands demand. It soon became clear that there was a real gap in the market for glasses that looked great but didn’t cost the earth and from there Cambridge Spectacle Co was born.”
Ejaz, who got his business off the ground by securing investment through a crowd-funding platform, secured the deal with Asda after approaching the supermarket with his product in March 2022, less than a year after founding the business. The spectacles have since been spotted being worn by former England international footballer turned commentator Ian Wright.
Sarah Joyce, head of optical and superintendent optometrist at Asda, said: “We are delighted to be working with Cambridge Spectacle Co, the product is fantastic and the ethos of great quality at affordable prices in addition to giving back through every purchase to eye health research really resonated with us and our customers. The team have been great to work with and we look forward to seeing how they continue to grow their business with us.”
Ejaz is being supported to further grow and scale his business by the NatWest Accelerator programme, which offers six months of free advice and support to small and medium-scale businesses looking to scale and grow.
Harinder Kunor, regional ecosystem manager at NatWest, said: “It’s been fantastic to support Ahmed and see his business idea thrive. He spotted an opportunity and has worked really hard to make the most of it and it’s wonderful that his hard work and determination has paid off and culminated in his product securing a national distribution deal. I look forward to seeing what comes next for him and supporting him on his journey.”
