Essilor's new Pal exclusive to Vision Source

[Framebender]

I could be wrong . . . .

but I actually believe that Hoya is more a friend to independants since they don't sell to the chains.

Again, I could be wrong, but that is my understanding.

:cheers:

[nicko]

Uh, that's a negative Framebender. There is not a lens vendor in the world that does not sell to retail in some way, shape or form.

[Fezz]

There is not a lens vendor in the world that does not sell to retail in some way, shape or form.

Could you fill those of us who are not educated on this (me), in?

I know that Shamir sells to one of Canada's largest chains. Any other examples?

Thanks for shedding some light on this.

[nicko]

Thanks for the verification Fezz. I could name several more instances inclusive of just about every vendor, but that really wasn't the point of my post. When painting someone with a brush, you simply have to use the same brush for everyone. Of course everyone is entitled to their views, but politicizing on inaccurate or incomplete information is rampant on this forum. The fact that people may take this information to heart and form an uneducated opinion is distressing to me. That's why I applauded Bren's post. Our goal should be to help the patient as best as we can using our experience on products that work based on performance and not a "he said, she said" argument.

That's really it....We should strive to remain ethical above all and a lot of bashing that goes on here transends the fine line of competitiveness versus misinformation.

Thanks

[hipoptical]

Bottom line in my opinion-Essilor is really really good at marketing and we can only hope that independents will wake up and realize that if they truly want to be different than everyone else -they will look into the numerous other great progressive lens on the market.

:cheers:
Problem is, most want to be different- JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE! They HAVE to be "an exclusive, certified, bona fide, registered, one-of-a-kind" Varilux office, just like every other office out there. That way they can say "You can't just get this lens anywhere.... only every independent, chain, or online optical dispensary offers this." Smart customers respond "Where can I NOT get it?"
"Well, you can't get it at the grocery store, Walgreen's, CVS, Toys R Us, or Starbuck's. So, you see, it's a VERY exclusive product, only available to those who sell eyeglasses and are willing to part with excessive money for old technology."

By-the-way...
I've got a computer for sale. In 1998 it was among the best you could get. Only $799 (monitor not included, does come with printer). Pentium II, Windows 98, upgraded to 64m RAM. I know all you Varilux pushers out there must be foaming at the mouth for this deal! Once I sort through all the PMs I'll sell it to the highest bidder over my offer.

[jrctx]

Concerning the Essilor-is-not-your-friend allegation, I would posit that Essilor has more of an interest in the private practice segment of our market than any other ophthalmic manufacturer producing lenses. After all, ophthalmic products and services are the sole source of income for Essilor. By far, the most profitable segment of those products & services is represented by private practice Optometry and Ophthalmology. Therefore, Essilor loses money every time a patient decides to leave a private practice to shop at a retailer- which is precisely why Essilor invests more resources into R&D of ophthalmic products, education for the market, and advertising to consumers than any other lens manufacturer.

Pete,
I agree that Essilor has a large interest in private practice but lets not forget that Essilor has their hands in just about every avenue of the optical market. Lenses, coatings, labs, equipment, software, retail stores, etc.

Also, don't forget that when Essilor and the other manufacturers make deals with retail chains it typically means that there is a lower price for the lenses, coatings, etc. that the private practice built a market for (do they get a thank you?) and the retail chains can then sell for lower than private practice or make deals. The retail chains have size and can control operating costs well due to their scale but to give them an unfair advantage over the segment you used to build your market is shameful.

[For-Life]

Pete,
I agree that Essilor has a large interest in private practice but lets not forget that Essilor has their hands in just about every avenue of the optical market. Lenses, coatings, labs, equipment, software, retail stores, etc.

Essilor does not own retail stores.

Also, we should not forget about Stock Club and RX Club that sell independents Essilor products at almost next to nothing, probably cheaper than the chains.

[Andrew Weiss]

First, TruClear is not a remarked Varilux Physio, Ovation, or any other lens. It is a unique design created at the request of Vision Source!, which represents a large group of private-practice ODs.

Thanks for the clarification, Pete. I admit I was skeptical that a company as big as Essilor would design an entirely new progressive for a specific, niched retail market like Vision Source ODs. I'll be trying out a TrueClear HD in a couple of weeks; I'll post my review.

[optical geek]

This is soooo true! So many optometrists and optical wholesalers just go with the flow and do what they are told to do. I was very impressed with all of the replys I read concerning Essilor. It is sad that the rich get richer and the poor poorer.

[For-Life]

This is soooo true! So many optometrists and optical wholesalers just go with the flow and do what they are told to do. I was very impressed with all of the replys I read concerning Essilor. It is sad that the rich get richer and the poor poorer.

To be honest, I keep aware of many labs in Canada and many different products. I have talked to reps from other big companies, and no one addresses my problems and helps me out more than Essilor. We keep hearing people talk about how good of a marketer Essilor is. Now these people use the term in a negative way, because the real definition of "marketing" is not well known. So lets grab some of the real terms for marketing.

“The process of planning and executing the conception, pricing promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals.”
(Goodyear, 1996 page 106 taken from The American Marketing Association, nc)


“A social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and values with others.”
(Kotler, Armstrong, and Cunningham, 2002 page 6)


Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.
(The American Marketing Association, 2004)


Now these are three terms that have evolved with time. The first one is the oldest, and the last one is the most recent. These are the real terms for marketing, not what is usually spat at on this board. I would say that Essilor does successfully fit the role between the second and third definition.

[hipoptical]

Since there has been so much discussion in this thread regarding the nature of TruClear and VISO, perhaps some clarification is in order.

First, TruClear is not a remarked Varilux Physio, Ovation, or any other lens. It is a unique design created at the request of Vision Source!, which represents a large group of private-practice ODs.

Private label products are common in all kinds of retail environments. The purpose being to provide a product to a user who wants to protect a segment of their business. In this case, Vision Source! members want a PAL offering unique to their practices, which cannot be price-shopped at a retailer (or even other practices). Vision Source! owns the brands TruClear and VISO, and Essilor manufactures the lenses for them.

Concerning the Essilor-is-not-your-friend allegation, I would posit that Essilor has more of an interest in the private practice segment of our market than any other ophthalmic manufacturer producing lenses. After all, ophthalmic products and services are the sole source of income for Essilor. By far, the most profitable segment of those products & services is represented by private practice Optometry and Ophthalmology. Therefore, Essilor loses money every time a patient decides to leave a private practice to shop at a retailer- which is precisely why Essilor invests more resources into R&D of ophthalmic products, education for the market, and advertising to consumers than any other lens manufacturer.

OK, I "believe" you... Essilor would never do anything except what is best for me... You're absolutely.....
WAIT A MINUTE! I can't be hypnotized that easily. You'll have to do better than that to convince me. Something like... use actual facts and proof, maybe. If so many independents feel like I do, then one of these days your company is going to have to realize that if we're not right, then the image you project through your business practices does not match your stated company position. In other words, you say one thing, but do something completely different. Example from another company: I was in a meeting with Signet Armorlite along with a hundred others or so, when the president and vice-pres. both said that they will NEVER get into the lab business, they support the independent lab, and will NEVER get into the lab business. Less than two years later they were open for business, and going directly to retailers, for much less than most labs could offer. The Evil Empire is no different, except for doing similar things on a broader scale. You say that when a patient goes to the retailer, Essilor loses? How so? Stuff-Mart sells Varilux, Natural, Ovation, Nikon, etc., and so does just about every other chain retailer out there. Essilor has packaged product specifically for LC before. So please, if you're going to join the discussion, at least offer some proof to your position, instead of towing the old company line. It's getting old, really...

[Andrew Weiss]

Hey, isn't this thread supposed to be about the Essilor/VS progressive?

Pete, what I am concerned about is the increasing homogenization of the industry. The more independent labs are bought out by Essilor, the more diversity in management structure and perspective we lose, not to mention the more capital gets held in fewer and fewer hands.

Many of us don't see hegemony in our industry -- whether it's by Essilor, or Zeiss/Sola, or anyone else -- as a good thing. So there are many of us, myself included, who would prefer to support independent labs, not just other independent retail opticians. I think if you look deeply into the "I hate Essilor" posts, you'll find that perspective in there.

Hey, isn't this thread supposed to be about the Essilor/VS progressive?;)

[drk]

Inspired by one of Optiboard's finer coming-of-age threads...

1.) These business practices is hardly unique to Essilor. We can name multiple optical industry companies that private label, obfuscate, vertically integrate, etc. Really, those who "can", "do". Let's lose our naiivete: no optical corporation is "for independents"...it's a small-guy's marketing position. They're all about money, of course. They're not us.

2.) In contrast, one of, if not the, most important jobs we do as professionals is to understand and analyze optical products and bring them to our patients with confidence and expertise. We operate under another principle as professionals: we are advocates and care-takers. It's a more noble calling than we realize. We're not them.

3.) As businesspeople ourselves, though, let's look out for our own interests: quality, price, availability. I think I cite John's here: "It's the art of buying, not selling". What he means is that we have to cut our own "good deals" and add the fruit of our negotiations/shopping to our bottom lines. No margin, no mission. We do have that in common with them.

Reflect: what is your mission? How can you partner with entities with different or antithetical missions to achieve yours?

[Judy Canty]

Well put!

[Pete Hanlin]

Very well put indeed...

Regarding the consolidation of the laboratory business, it should probably be noted that the US market is sort of "odd." In most markets, the laboratories are owned primarily by manufacturers. In fact, that was also the case in the US- until AO and B&L lab networks were divided up (which gave rise to a number of the independent laboratories currently out there).

One could ask if "being like the rest of the world" is really the way to go... Well, if you consider premium products a good thing (i.e., patients wearing PALs and/or AR), the answer would have to be "yes" (based on the fact that penetration of PALs and ARs are higher in most of these other markets).

Essilor has a new division I really like- Partner Laboratories. Essilor purchases an interest in the laboratory- but the laboratory owner retains an interest as well. The result is the laboratory receives access to Essilor resources and efficiencies, which provides ECPs with the type and feel of the services to which they are accustomed. Most of the laboratories being added to the Essilor network are now partner laboratories.

As for private practitioners and manufacturers, as was so well noted it all comes down to the objectives of each business. Essilor is not in competition with the private practice eye care provider (ECP) in any way, shape, or form. In fact, given the "push" nature of the eyewear market, Essilor relies on their relationship with the private ECP to recommend and deliver their product- just as the practitioner relies on Essilor and other manufacturers to provide new technologies & products. (Souring that relationship is the interest of our competitors, which explains a lot of what you read on this forum.)

As for that computer from 1998- if it is still outperforming computers built by other vendors today (and Varilux Comfort continues to outperform "new" competitive designs), I suppose I would look to buy a new version of the same model! Fourteen years after launch, Varilux Comfort is still the world's most prescribed PALs. Its not the marketing (our marketing folks are good, but they're not that good). When Varilux Comfort launched, Essilor was NOT the world's largest supplier of PALs- by far. Varilux Comfort gained market share simply because it has a patented design which out-performs other PAL designs. ECPs who were used to 10-20% non-adapts started fitting Varilux Comfort and realized it was simply a better design.