BENTONVILLE, Ark.—Walmart and direct-to-consumer contact lens brand Waldo are partnering to offer the lens brand across all of the retailer’s vision centers. The goal is to “make eyecare more accessible and affordable,” Walmart said in an announcement Tuesday. The Waldo lenses are available in-store now, and also on the website WalmartContacts.com. (Waldo also will continue to offer the lenses directly to patients on its own website.) Walmart is the first exclusive retailer to offer Waldo, an “innovative and accessible eyecare brand that believes in the power of positive vision,” the announcement noted.

The company has about 3,100 vision centers at Walmart stores across the country, including about 230 that are operated by the optical retailer National Vision Holdings. National Vision and Walmart ranked No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, in the most recent Vision Monday Top 50 Optical Retailers report.

The Waldo contact lens portfolio has two options, Hydra Boost Plus Daily Lenses and Hydra Boost Daily Lenses. The company offers a trial price and then various subscription options to purchase the lenses. The Hydra Boost Plus Daily Lenses are the “first-of-their-kind lenses [and] are enriched with essential vitamins, including B12, to help refresh and rejuvenate eyes,” the companies said.

Walmart will not offer a subscription model for the in-store purchase of Waldo lenses, but there are subscriptions available on the WalmartContacts.com website.

“We're always looking for products that meet our customers’ needs, and we know that right now, especially, our customers want high-quality contact lenses that are affordable,” Walmart’s Tabitha Watkins, a divisional merchandising manager – specialty health care, told VMAIL in an interview. “And so that's really how the relationship started. Because obviously these are very high quality products at a really great retail [price].”

Walmart has priced the lenses at $23.86 for a 30-pack of the Hydra Boost Daily Lenses, which it says represents a savings of 13 percent to 84 percent off the cash price of comparable branded daily disposable contact lenses at Walmart. This translates into a savings of up to $552 a year at Walmart, the company said.

The Walmart price for the Hydra Boost Plus Daily Lenses is $27.86 for a 30-pack. Both lens options are less expensive at Walmart than at the Waldo website (although Waldo appears to be adjusting its pricing). But the retailer also is trying to protect the Waldo brand image. “As far as everyday low prices, we feel passionate about making sure we have the best price,” Watkins told VMAIL.

“We are thrilled to partner with Walmart to expand access to affordable eyecare options across the country,” Ashleigh Hinde, founder and CEO at Waldo, said in the announcement. “Partnering with Walmart allows us to grow our community and help foster much larger conversation around the importance of eye health and the need for accessible options for eyecare.”

The Waldo lenses were available nationwide at Walmart, beginning Tuesday, July 26.

“Walmart is continuously looking for how we can bring our customers brands they already use and love to our stores, making it even more convenient to prioritize their health during their weekly shopping trips,” Watkins added. “We are so pleased to be the first retailer to carry Waldo, a brand that is delivering innovative eyecare products at a great value for our customers.”

In addition, Walmart also noted that the Walmart Vision Centers across the country are being “transformed into state-of-the-art facilities with an all-new customer experience that features family tables and full-length mirrors for a functional try-on atmosphere.” The remodeled centers also will have newly designed and interactive shelving, semi-private spaces for associate consultations, and other new features.