In episode 293 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Chase Fisher, founder and CEO of Blenders Eyewear, a direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) lifestyle eyewear brand specializing in fresh, vibrant and affordable eyewear. Listen in as Fisher discusses the origin of Blenders Eyewear, his professional and personal background as a semi-pro surfer, and the first steps he took to launch the company, including selling sunglasses out of a backpack on the beach. He shares how he created Blenders' first e-commerce site on Shopify and figured out how to drive traffic to it, how Instagram was a major boost to the brand's online presence, and how he marketed the company without a budget.

In addition, Fisher shares why opening a flagship store in San Diego was the right move for Blenders, how physical retail highlights the interactive eyewear purchasing experience, and his plans to open more brick-and-mortar locations. He discusses Blenders' customer demographics, how the company is continually working on improving the omnichannel customer experience, and what he's focused on to grow momentum for the brand.

Chase Fisher founded Blenders Eyewear in 2012. The idea spawned when he went to see his favorite DJs at a San Diego nightclub. Chase's neon green “beater” sunglasses received an overwhelmingly positive response, and what started out as a night full of close friends and good music quickly escalated into a full-fledged obsession with sunglasses. He leveraged a background as a sponsored athlete to develop "sunnies" with scintillating style and adventurous spirit — the visual embodiment of the company’s "life in forward motion" maxim. It’s been Chase's steadfast self-determination — and the combined efforts of his amazing team — that’s established Blenders as one of America’s fastest-growing sunglasses brands.