Loop Contacts, D2C subscription startup, launches in the UAE 

Loop Contacts is bringing a new subscription service to the market that will save people time and money, offering them convenience and contact lenses at an affordable price. 

Loop Contacts, a new and innovative direct-to-consumer contact lens subscription platform gives customers the ability to browse online and choose from a wide variety of discounted prescription or coloured contact lenses (Acuvue, Alcon, Bausch+Lomb and more). Customers can select their preferred lens solution or eye drops and get their subscription started.

Loop’s hassle-free subscription service ensures that subscribers never run out and are always getting their contacts at an affordable price. It gives subscribers full flexibility and control over their subscription, users can pause, cancel or skip an order, change their prescription and contact lenses, control their next delivery date and manage their profile directly through the website.  

The concept is the brainchild of Joe Afif, Loop’s Founder and CEO, a Dubai-based entrepreneur. The idea came from a problem he experienced as a long-term contact lens wearer whose busy life prevented him from ordering contact lenses on time, leading him to run out and either overwear his lenses or wear glasses. To add to that, searching for the stores or suppliers with the best prices was a time-consuming process, which even in today’s digital world can be tedious given the plethora of options available on e-commerce platforms. 

“After going through the same scenario of running out of contact lenses and forgetting to re-order time and time again, I realized that there was a real market need for this service, as well as an opportunity to create a brand that would give people like me peace of mind,” said Afif. 

“Loop was built with a specific type of consumer in mind – the busy entrepreneur, the working mom, digital-savvy shopper or any contact lens wearer who is looking for convenience and a service that adds value to their daily lives,” he explained. 

‎“We discovered through market research that the convenience factor and saving time are just as important to consumers as saving money. Using an e-commerce platform like Loop Contacts offers the best of both worlds as it’s designed to deliver maximum value to customers through its flexible and easy subscription model, while allowing them to dedicate their free time to the things that matter,” he added. 

‎After a soft launch in January 2021, Loop Contacts is on a mission to make its mark on the UAE’s subscription economy. The response to the e-commerce website has so far been “very encouraging”, according to Afif, who says that Loop customers were quick to opt-in and adopt the subscription platform and the long term benefits that the service offers. 

The subscription economy in the Middle East and North Africa has seen steady growth over the last few years, driven by increased e-commerce activity and the advancement of digital payments infrastructure. Covid-19 has accelerated these upward trends in the business-to-business (B2B) space and business-to-consumer (B2C), according to a recent report from Wamda’s Research Lab in partnership with Microsoft for Startups and Egypt-based SubsBase.