Latest News Coastal.com Ends First Pair Free Promo By Staff Friday, August 1, 2014 12:27 AM Chris Hasek-Watt VANCOUVER, B.C.— Online eyewear retailer Coastal.com has ended its First Pair Free promotion and is now offering free shipping and handling on all eyeglasses orders instead. According to Chris Hasek-Watt, U.S. marketing manager for the Vancouver-based company, the new promotion is “a natural progression for our business as we reallocate resources to improve the experience for everyone—both new and returning customers. Without First Pair Free, our value proposition actually increases: free shipping and handling on eyeglasses is one example of how we can now pass on additional savings to all customers.” Although Coastal.com has declared the First Pair Free program a success, it did not align with the strategic positioning of its new parent company, Essilor of America, which acquired Coastal.com in late April, 2014. At the time, Essilor of America president John Carrier told VMail, “For us, as the leader in industry, we do not find it’s the proper way to reflect the proper value of our services. So we’ve taken the decision to immediately de-emphasize the free pair program and shut it down in the next weeks and months.”