LUXOPTICA is Ukraine's largest optics retail chain, and it was for them that we built an online optics store working in tandem with the retail network of salons: a catalog of glasses, frames and contact lenses with medical-parameter filters, end-to-end selection flows from sunglasses to prescription eyewear, integration with the chain, LiqPay payments and GA4 analytics.
Ukraine's largest optics chain
LUXOPTICA is the #1 optics retailer in Ukraine: salons across the country, a broad range of prescription glasses, sunglasses, frames and contact lenses, and — above all — a culture of expert consultation that customers have come to expect. The brand's strength was built offline over the years: a person walked into a salon, spoke with a consultant, tried on frames, had their eyes checked, and only then made a choice. The task was to move that expertise online without losing the most important thing — trust in a correctly chosen product.
Retail expertise that had to move online
For an ordinary online store it is enough to show a photo, a price and a "buy" button. For optics that is critically insufficient. Here the online channel has to reproduce what live consultants do in a salon: ask the right questions, filter out unsuitable products by medical criteria and lead the buyer to a decision they are confident in. That is why the project was conceived from the outset not as "a website next to the chain" but as a full-fledged digital channel of that same chain.
Why selling optics online is harder
Selling optics is fundamentally different from selling ordinary goods. Glasses and lenses are not just an accessory but a product with medical parameters that determines how a person sees the world. A mistake in the choice here costs not a return but poor wellbeing, headaches or damaged vision. This is exactly why buyers have traditionally hesitated to buy optics remotely.
Every item has medical parameters
Behind every listing is a set of characteristics absent from ordinary retail: diopters for prescription glasses, base curve and water content for contact lenses, frame parameters. A customer cannot simply "add to cart" — they have to match the product to their prescription and needs. This meant the catalog had to store and correctly handle medical data, and the filters had to operate on precisely these parameters, not just brand and color.
A purchase that traditionally needs consultation and fitting
The second difficulty is behavioral. Many buyers are used to getting a consultation and trying products on before buying. The online channel had to not remove this step but merge with it seamlessly: let customers select a product on the site, check availability in salons and use the chain's services where an expert is indispensable. The online optics store had to become an extension of the salon, not its competitor.
Approach and process
We immersed ourselves in the specifics of optical retail together with the LUXOPTICA team and built the store iteratively, checking every decision against real selling scenarios in the salons.
- Domain immersion. We studied how glasses and lenses are selected in salons, which medical parameters are critical and where the buyer needs help.
- Catalog modeling. We designed a data structure capable of storing the medical characteristics of glasses, frames and contact lenses alongside ordinary attributes.
- Parameter filters. We built filtering by diopters, base curve, water content and other indicators so the buyer quickly narrows the choice to products that suit them.
- Selection flows. We implemented end-to-end flows — from sunglasses to prescription eyewear.
- Chain integration. We connected in-store availability, pickup and services so online and offline work as one.
- Payment and analytics. We integrated LiqPay for online payment and GA4 for end-to-end analytics of buyer behavior.
- Speed and support. We optimized catalog loading and stayed on to support the project continuously.
What we built
As a result, LUXOPTICA received a full-fledged online optics store in which every module accounts for the specifics of the industry:
- a catalog of prescription glasses, sunglasses, frames and contact lenses;
- filters by medical parameters, not just by brand and price;
- end-to-end selection flows for different product types;
- integration with the retail chain — availability, pickup, salon services;
- online payment via LiqPay;
- end-to-end GA4 analytics and fast catalog loading.
Medical-parameter filters
The heart of the store is a filtering system that operates on medical indicators. Instead of scrolling through hundreds of items, the buyer sets their parameters at once and sees only what suits them. Below is how different product categories relate to parameters and selection scenarios:
| Product category | Key filter parameters | Selection scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Prescription glasses | Diopters, frame parameters | Choose a frame for the prescription, then consult |
| Contact lenses | Base curve, water content, diopters | Select by medical indicators and reorder |
| Sunglasses | Frame type and shape, brand | Choose by style, with an option for prescription lenses |
| Frames | Shape, material, size | Fitting and ordering prescription lenses in the salon |
Selection flows: from sunglasses to prescription eyewear
We separated the selection logic for different categories. Sunglasses are bought primarily for style, so the flow starts with looks and brand and only then offers the option of prescription lenses. Prescription glasses are the opposite — here the prescription and medical parameters come first, and the frame is matched to them. Contact lenses require precise indicators and convenient reordering. Each scenario guides the buyer step by step, reducing the risk of a mistake.
Integration with the salon network
The online store works in tandem with the retail chain. The buyer sees in-store availability, can collect an order via pickup and use services provided directly in the optics salon. This way the online channel does not tear the customer away from the chain — on the contrary, it brings them to the right salon exactly when an expert is needed.
LiqPay payments
Convenient online card payment right on the site through LiqPay, a service popular in Ukraine.
GA4 analytics
End-to-end analytics of buyer behavior shows how the selection flows perform and helps improve them.
Fast catalog
Optimized catalog loading keeps things fast even across a large range.
Ongoing support
We stay on to support the project, growing the store together with the business.
Architecture and technology
The store is built on a proven PHP and MySQL stack — a reliable foundation for a catalog with medical data and high demands on data integrity. Online payment is handled by LiqPay, analytics by Google Analytics 4. Special attention went to speed: the optics catalog is large, and pages have to open instantly, so loading and queries are optimized with catalog growth in mind.
| Layer | Technology | Role in the project |
|---|---|---|
| Backend | PHP | Catalog, filters and selection-flow logic |
| Database | MySQL | Storing products together with medical parameters |
| Payment | LiqPay | Online card payment on the site |
| Analytics | GA4 | End-to-end analytics of behavior and conversions |
Results and what's next
Together we did what was considered hard for the online channel: we moved optics sales into a digital channel without losing the logic of expert selection. Buyers gained the ability to independently choose glasses, frames or contact lenses by medical parameters, check availability in salons and pay for an order online, while the chain gained a full-fledged sales channel working in tandem with offline. The online store serves the #1 optics retailer in Ukraine, which is exactly why the demands on data quality, speed and ease of selection were at their highest.
- optics became something you can confidently buy online — with filters by medical parameters;
- the online channel and the salon network work as a single system;
- LiqPay payments and GA4 analytics closed the commercial and analytical sides;
- a fast catalog and ongoing support keep the store growing together with the business.
If you run a retail business with a complex range — optics, or products with medical or technical parameters — and want the online channel to sell as well as an experienced consultant on the floor, tell us about your project on our contacts page, or browse our other projects.
