Lenstore was founded on 3rd January 2008 by Mitesh Patel, Oxford University graduate. From friends, Mitesh learned that online ordering of contact lenses was very popular in other countries. It allowed customers to buy contact lenses at a lower price than offered by Opticians, and have them conveniently delivered to their door. As a contact lenses wearer himself, Mitesh found the idea of selling (and buying!) contact lenses over the internet extremely attractive. The existing competition was seen to be relatively weak and there was a winning opportunity for an innovative, customer-centric online retailer to enter the marketplace. The next 6 months were spent building the company`s infrastructure – recruiting a freelance web developer to create the website, securing supplier contracts and developing a solid marketing plan. There was a very strong focus on the customer from the inception, with a desire to offer the quickest, easiest and most convenient option for purchasing the same lenses bought from the Opticians, at a lower price.