[mazda4life]

As a resident of the US sharing couple of more points , usually brick and mortar stores are expensive even after using insurance and if you go for some expensive frames, glasses you might have to part with an organ. Agree with the poster who made the comment on higher margins and what I have also experienced is that - usually the optometrists here are experienced, certified and pretty professional.
For spare glasses, there are many good online portals like Zenni, googles4u which have been there for ages and pretty trustworthy.

[RGK]

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠I purchased RB Wayferer in 2013 at a duty-free store in the New York airport for approximately 100 USD, equivalent to ~ INR 5000. In India, the same sunglasses were priced at approximately Rs.8000/- back then.

My cousin recently gave me a RB Aviator that he bought at a CSD here ( I assume it is priced around ~ INR 8000/-). He mentioned that the price is significantly higher now in the USA, around $200.

[epijay]

You can get Maui Jims at Lawrence and Mayo outlets. They also stock Raybans as well as high end Cartier glasses.

Originally Posted by sreerknair

If you are buying from the US, check out the Maui Jim glasses. Hard to get them in India and the quality of these glasses is unmatched.

[neerajku]

Differential pricing is a complex topic. Selling different quality in different markets while plausible may not be backed by data. Most sell similar quality across the globe if the specs are the same. Brand strength is what they live by and spend an enormous amount of money to manage it.
Pricing is explained by costs incurred, duties, pricing power and the company policy. Of late see many companies offering cheaper stuff here compared to US or Europe. Though some have exactly similar prices across the globe.

[Vinod_nair]

My wife gifted me a pair of Ray-Ban Sunglasses which was for about SR.200/-, which I use only occasionally, and the street Ray Band SR.20/- which is used regularly.

[ubermensch]

Am I too late? You could go for AO (American Optical) or Randolphs. Randolphs are hands down the best I've ever owned across 4 brands - Randolphs, Maui Jims, AOs and RayBans. Raybans arent B&L anymore and Luxottica focusses on perceived brand value over quality. Tldr, nothing beats Randolphs as far as quality goes.