Didn't realize that brand was owned by this other company...

[cwerdna]

I'll start. I got a earlier this year when looking at my online credit charges. I saw a charge from Bridgestone Firestone, which was a bit puzzling but the amount looked like what I'd paid to change 2 tires and get an alignment done at Wheel Works.

After a bit of digging, I found out from http://www.bridgestone-firestone.com/about_bg_index.asp?id=about/bfrc_cobg:

In 2001, BFS announced its majority ownership stake in Morgan Tire & Auto, LLC (MTA), then the nation’s second-largest independent retailer of tires. MTA owns and operates Tires Plus™ and Wheel Works™ retail locations as well as a wholesale division, Tire Wholesale Warehouse (TWW).

My parents and I have been visiting that Wheel Works location for ages (way before 2001) and the store still looks the same and how the employees treat their customers has remained unchanged, fortunately.

I know that Firestone tire locations seem to have a terrible rep, whether it's deserved or not.

Now this might be amazing for anyone who wears sunglasses, buys (expensive) frames, or visits places like LensCrafters or Pearle Vision.

Thanks to a 60 Minutes piece (I believe the whole thing is online at http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7424700n&tag=contentMain;contentAux), I learned a LOT about Luxottica, a company I'd never heard of.

(I don't wear sunglasses, but at least I know these brands.)
I had NO idea they owned Oakley, Ray-Ban, LensCrafters, Pearle Vision and Sunglass Hut. They also operate Sears Optical and Target Optical.

They also produce eyewear under license for names such as Coach, Anne Klein, Bulgari, Prada, Polo, Versace, Ralph Lauren, and Tiffany.

To quote from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704518904575365362932852610.html

1. Most sunglasses are made by the same company. Do you prefer the "quality" of Ray-Ban to Oakley? Do you think Bulgari is better than Dolce & Gabbana, or Salvatore Ferragamo is better than Prada? Wake up. They're all made by one company, Italian manufacturer Luxottica–one of the biggest consumer companies that consumers have never heard of. Luxottica also makes sunglasses branded Burberry, Chanel, Polo Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Stella McCartney, Tiffany, Versace, Vogue, Persol, Miu Miu, Tory Burch and Donna Karan.

"We manufacture about 70% of those brands in our factories in Italy, and the balance in America and China," says Luxottica spokesman Luca Biondolillo. "We do the design, the manufacturing, and the marketing," he adds. The company makes most of those brands under license, working closely with designers at the relevant fashion houses. But it owns several brands itself, including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Oliver Peoples and REVO.

Besides the story, see these for more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxottica#Brands

http://www.luxottica.com/en/brands/house_brands/index.html
http://www.luxottica.com/en/brands/license_brands/
http://www.luxottica.com/en/retail/brands/

I guess we can "thank" this company for expensive glasses, frames and sunglasses.

 

[Rat]

I buy mine at Rite-Aid or Costco

 

[cwerdna]

Yeah, I go to Costco for glasses. The max amounts that were provided for lenses and frames by my former insurance meant I had to pay out of pocket, if I bought at an optometrist.

Costco lenses and frames are well under what max limit on frames and lenses, so I end up paying noting out of pocket.

 

[Herm]

Nikon Titanium frames at Costco are the best.. worth every penny