Sid Sethi (founder of the fastest-growing UK eyewear brand Specscart) won the North West Retail Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 at the Great British Entrepreneurship Award. Also known as “The Grammys of Entrepreneurship,” the award was organised in partnership with Allica Bank. This is not the first time that Sid Sethi and his visionary brand have been recognised for disrupting a centuries-old industry. He has been on prestigious lists like Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe and The Sunday Times Seven Ones to Watch just last year, among multiple other accolades that the business won.
The recognition places him among the leading entrepreneurs shaping the future of British retail. His contribution in modernising the eyewear industry from manufacturing to retail has not only ensured massive growth for the business but has also pushed the industry forward.
Making a True Customer-First Brand
According to Sid, he started Specscart to solve the problems for the customers that he faced in the eyewear industry. He never wanted to make a brand but wanted to offer effective solutions to the customers. As a result, the customers became the flag-bearers of the brand, helping them become the fastest-growing eyewear business in the UK. With an average year-on-year growth of 97%, the bootstrapped business currently operates three smart retail stores along with an e-commerce website that has shipped glasses to more than 132 countries across all six inhabited continents.
When we asked them about the secret to their success, the simple answer we got was that everything starts and ends with customers at Specscart. They offer 1000+ fashion-forward styles made from premium quality materials at 70% lower prices than the high street opticians. Along with that, they ensure transparent pricing where the customers pay what they see initially. It means the customers are not charged for silly upgrades. Any frame you purchase from their stores or website comes with free lenses, including anti-glare, anti-UV, anti-scratch, and impact-resistant coatings. That’s not all, they also include free accessories with the order, and you get free next-day delivery on most prescriptions (excluding complex prescriptions or varifocals).
When you look at the complete picture, the focus is on delivering great value to the customers while keeping things simple and transparent for them. The quality is also top-notch as they glaze their glasses to the highest standards of British precision in their state-of-the-art Manchester glazing lab.
Innovative Excellence at Every Stage of the Customer Journey
Specscart controls the entire supply chain to remove middlemen from the process. From manufacturing to retail, they handle everything on their own. It helps them control the quality of their products while keeping the prices low. It’s evident from the value they offer that they pass these benefits to the customers.
Recently, Specscart won the Make UK Manufacturing Awards in the Innovation category for the North West region. They were also a finalist at the MX Manufacturer Awards 2025 in the Smart Factory category. These are some proofs of how well and efficiently they manage their production to ensure top-notch quality. They’re the only major eyewear brand in the country to offer free 30-minute collection on prescription glasses at their Bury store.
Simultaneously, for their online customers, they offer the free next-day delivery mentioned above as well. They are using machine learning along with multiple innovative solutions developed over time to make all this possible. However, the biggest differentiating factor of Specscart is Sid’s focus on continuous improvement. They never settle for whatever they’ve already made possible. Instead of waiting for others to catch up, they keep looking for ways to outperform themselves to bring the best for their customers.
What Does The Future Look Like?
The business is all set to take its successful formula global in the coming year. Their first target market is going to be North America, where they’re ready to launch their US website soon. They are working on the vision to build the world’s finest end-to-end eyewear manufacturing ecosystem in Manchester. In an industry dominated by offshore production and slow lead times, Specscart is turning the model on its head. The next chapter is about vertical integration, which includes designing, prototyping, and manufacturing frames and lenses all under one roof in Manchester.
