Oral Care Leader Opens 18 New Locations Of Its Patented SmileShop Concept As It Celebrates Two Million Customers Served Through Its Telehealth Platform
SmileDirectClub, Inc. (Nasdaq: SDC), the med tech oral care company with the first telehealth platform for teeth straightening, today announced the opening of 18 new locations of its patented SmileShop concept, bringing the Company’s retail footprint to 128 locations across the globe. The expansion comes as SmileDirectClub celebrates its two millionth aligner customer served through its orthodontic telehealth platform.
These SmileShop openings mark the first expansion of the Company’s retail footprint in the U.S. since the beginning of the 2020 pandemic. The additional locations will provide even more consumers with the opportunity to begin their smile journey through the Company’s doctor-directed digital orthodontia telehealth platform.
“SmileDirectClub’s patented SmileShop revolutionizes the way consumers access oral care by providing a safe, doctor-directed, and convenient experience,” said David Katzman, CEO and Chairman, SmileDirectClub. “The expansion of our retail portfolio underscores our commitment to providing an elevated, omni-channel experience that gives customers a choice on how they access premium, affordable oral care. By blending the strengths of digital and traditional retail, along with high-tech solutions like our new SmileMaker Platform, we're working to provide our customers with options that previously did not exist in traditional dental care."
The new SmileShops will allow the Company to efficiently expand its reach without cannibalizing existing outlets, and to service incremental customer demand generated by new channels like the AI-powered SmileMaker Platform, which was launched in the U.S. in April. The patented SmileMaker Platform allows customers to access their Custom Smile Plan within minutes by creating a 3D scan of their teeth using a mobile device. Once a customer receives their Custom Smile Plan, they will go to either a local SmileShop for a 3D scan or complete a doctor-prescribed Impression Kit.
SmileDirectClub was issued a patent by the United States Patent & Trademark Office for its SmileShop concept in 2020. The patent encompasses the unique SmileShop concept and process, including scheduling of an appointment at a SmileShop, sending the scheduling confirmation to the customer, conducting the intraoral scan, generating a treatment plan, receiving approval of the treatment plan by a licensed dentist or orthodontist, producing aligners in accordance with the treatment plan, and sending those aligners to the customer.
Last month, SmileDirectClub opened SmileShops in the following cities (in alphabetical order): Artesia, CA; Cleveland, OH; Dearborn, MI; Flourtown, PA; Friendswood, TX; Fullerton, CA; Great Neck, NY; Harlem, NY; Indianapolis, IN; Glen Ellyn, IL; Long Beach, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Manhattan, NY; Paramus, NJ; Royal Oak, MI; Spring, TX; St Louis, MO; and Wilkinsburg, PA. To locate the nearest SmileShop or to book an appointment, customers can visit SmileDirectClub.com.
