A Look Back at Specscart’s Journey in 2025

If I had to sum up 2025 in one word for us, it would be reinvention. This was the year Specscart grew, stretched, tested ideas, refined them, and in many ways rediscovered itself. Being part of this journey every single day reminded me how deeply people connect with what we do. That feeling never gets old.

It’s still humbling to step back and realise that a small startup, started at the University of Manchester by an immigrant student, without external funding, has grown into the fastest-growing eyewear business in the UK. We’re often so busy building, fixing, improving, and moving forward that we forget to pause and take it in.

Behind the scenes, our team is constantly focused on what’s next. Small upgrades, better details, and smoother experiences matter more than anything to us. And that mindset comes from the top. Sid’s obsession with customer experience has quietly shaped how all of us work. There’s an unspoken competition to make things better, faster, clearer, but never at the cost of teamwork. It’s the kind of environment where improvement comes as a byproduct of great teamwork.

When Sid was recognised in 2024 with honours like Forbes 30 Under 30 and The Sunday Times Ones to Watch, it made something click for all of us. Those small improvements we work on every day don’t stay small. They add up, and they matter more than we realise.

2025 was full of conversations, experiments, challenges, and moments of progress. I watched our team step outside comfort zones, celebrate small wins, and grow not just as professionals, but as people.

Let me walk you through some of the moments that defined our year.

Launch of Upgraded Eyecare and Eyewear Experience at Bury Store

We began 2025 by reopening our Bury store at nearly four times its original size. The goal wasn’t just more space. We wanted a store that felt good to be in. Somewhere you’d want to browse, try things on, ask questions, and take your time. In Sid’s words, the new store was designed to make it as cool as an Apple store, browsable as Waterstones and quirky as an independent boutique.

For customers, this meant more room to try frames comfortably, 2X availability for free comprehensive eye tests, and simple touches like mobile checkout that make visits feel smoother.

Expansion of Our Manchester Glazing Lab

Behind the scenes, our state-of-the-art Manchester glazing lab had its own transformation. In 2025, we increased our production capability by 40%.

That change isn’t something most people see directly, but they feel it. It allowed us to achieve faster turnarounds and better consistency, even with a higher number of orders. It gave us more freedom for us to test new ideas without slowing things down elsewhere. A larger, more capable lab allowed us to keep up with demand while staying true to what people already loved about Specscart: speed, quality, and reliability.

The Most Popular Frames From Our Free Home Trial Orders

Every year, a few frames quietly rise to the top. Not because they’re loud or trendy, but because people keep reaching for them. In 2025, these were the ones we saw again and again:

Busk

Easy to wear, easy to style. The kind of frame people put on once and forget they’re wearing.

Fletcher

Clean and modern, without feeling cold. A balance that works for everyday life.

Derby

Confident and expressive. A perfect choice for people who want a modern but minimal style.

Rhodes

Simple in the best way. Timeless, reliable, and always relevant.

The Most Popular Eyewear Styles of 2025

Looking at our sales data and in-store insights from across the UK, a clear pattern emerged in 2025. Rectangular, round, and cat-eye frames consistently remained the most chosen styles throughout the year.

This didn’t come as a surprise. Rectangular and round frames have been part of people’s wardrobes for decades because they’re easy to live with. They work across different face shapes, outfits, and routines, which makes them a safe but confident choice year after year. Cat-eye frames showed the same, as they remained the most popular eyewear style among women. It's been more than a century since the inception of cat-eye glasses, but they've never lost their relevance and have remained the first choice in feminine styles.

25000 Free Comprehensive Eye Tests and Counting

When we think about the impact of our work, numbers only matter because of the people behind them. In 2025, that meant crossing 25,000 free comprehensive eye tests delivered to our community.

That’s thousands of real moments. Some got their first pair of glasses, some realised their prescription changed, and members of the Specscart Family kept coming back because they trust us.

Eye care has always been the foundation of what we do. These eye tests are not transactions for us. They’re our way of giving a little to the community that has made us "Specscart" today.

Being Recognised Along the Way

Awards are never what we work towards, but they do make you pause. Here are some of the important recognitions we got in 2025.

• Insider North West Young Professionals Awards

• The Business Desk North West Leadership Awards

• The Great British Entrepreneur Awards

• Make UK Manufacturing Awards

Each one meant the same thing for us, a team that shows up every day and takes pride in doing things properly, whether that’s in-store, in the lab, or behind the scenes.

Some of Your Favourite Specscart Collections From 2025

When we planned our 2025 collections, the intention was to give people clear, different options, so choosing glasses felt easier and more personal. Here are examples of some of the most popular collection launches of the year.

Couture was created for those who enjoy a stronger fashion edge. The bolder shapes and high-fashion feel meant people didn’t have to rely on outfits alone to make a statement. The frames did that work for them as well.

Mirage leaned into a more premium look and feel, with refined details like temple designs. For the wearer, this translated into glasses that felt more considered and polished, especially for occasions where they wanted something a little more put together.

Trinity explored a more experimental direction. The sharper lines and slightly futuristic design spoke to Gen Z customers who wanted frames that felt current and a bit different, without being difficult to wear day to day.

Alongside these, we also focused on offering frames that included the most worn styles of the year with our Summer Collection. This meant people could choose between something expressive or something familiar, depending on what suited their lifestyle.

Taken together, these collections weren’t about pushing trends. They were about giving people the freedom to wear glasses that felt right for them. With our diverse collections, we gave people the choice to stand out from the crowd, keep things simple, or try something new.

Looking Ahead to 2026

If 2025 was about reinvention, 2026 is about definition.

We’re moving forward with clearer ideas, stronger foundations, and a deeper commitment to making eyewear feel simple, honest, and well-designed. There’s more to come in how we serve the rapidly growing Specscart Family, how we design frames, and how we show up as a people's brand.

None of this happens without the people who choose us, trust us, and grow with us. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Onwards.
Upwards.
And always, with clarity.