brands

[jessaroni]

We are looking to add a few lines and I have some questions. We are in an upper middle class area (in the midwest) and do well with Prada, Burberry and Ralph Lauren. We are not doing as well with Dolce or Donna Karen. I want to get away from Lux as much as we can, but am not sure which route to go. Do the "off brands" sell as well? How important is the brand name? I am considering Fysh and Kliik and maybe Prodesign (per all of your suggestions in previous posts). Also, what about Safilo? Should I try them or go with others. All opinions welcome!!!

[L.A.B.]

Hi,
Our office is has NO Luxotica product and is Mid-price in sales. We brought in Kliik over a year ago and then Fysh a few months after that. We have had great success with these lines. It was a jump because no one else in the area had it but it's 30% of our sales. We do have designer brands that also do very well but no Luxotica. Hope this helps.


:)

[jessaroni]

Thanks! I am also interested in Koali? What do you all think of that line?

[Fezz]

****LOUDSPEAKER****

Johns please report to the general forum. Johns to the general forum.
Thank You!

[DragonLensmanWV]

Thanks! I am also interested in Koali? What do you all think of that line?

We have moderate success with the Koali line. They are too colorful for some for others they're the bee's knees.

[edKENdance]

Thanks! I am also interested in Koali? What do you all think of that line?

I like Koali and a lot of the Lanctot stuff. The new OGA's are pretty awesome too. Wood and glass temples. Definitely different than the Lux you are carrying and you can literally feel the quality. Toms' design is also doing ok if you want some funky drill jobs.

[mrmac]

I will not carry any Lux product....why feed the monster that is trying to eat you. I do very well with both Coach and Nike but that is the ONLY Marchon product that is worth while.

[AdmiralKnight]

Can't go wrong with Kliik and Fysh. Great styles, great colors, and unlike most other brands, they actually have a good MEN'S line. Now there's forward thinking.

[lensmama]

No Lux for us either. We do very well with Jai Kudo for trendy with a moderate price and with Clearvision--lots of lines, good quality, and lots of different price points.

[edKENdance]

No Lux for us either. We do very well with Jai Kudo for trendy with a moderate price and with Clearvision--lots of lines, good quality, and lots of different price points.

We dumped Jai Kudo least year but we do very well with Kliik and Fysh.

[bblaker]

****LOUDSPEAKER****

Johns please report to the general forum. Johns to the general forum.
Thank You!

Johns probably passed out after he read the first post and hasnt recovered yet...

[Paul E. Carbonate]

"Upper-Middle-Class" describes only income. Are you selling to 30-somethings? Old people? Mexicans? Negroes?
We have a lot of Negro customers, and they buy the Bellagio line like it's going out of style (actually it never was in style, but that's another matter). Great wholesale deals and you can get a good margin on them.
The well-to-do Negroes always ask about Gucci, Fendi, etc...but you're in the midwest, so I'm gonna assume you mean white people.
With the honkeys, I sell material and function to the men...get a **** load of titanium, extol its virtues, and sell high-end lenses to the dudes.
For middle-class white chicks, you should be able to sell any tasteful fashion line. If you're having trouble selling normal-looking fashion frames to this group you may need to change your approach or have a different salesperson handle them.

[L.A.B.]

It's apparant ,from reading Fezz and bblaker replies, I offended them with a post. Didn't realize there was only a certain way to repond on this forum. I may be relatively new here but am certainly not inexperienced. Why be so critical of others.

[Fezz]

LAB,

Please, we meant no harm at all. The post was in jest, tongue in cheek, for fun. There are some on here who feel that name brands are not worth what we all pay for them. I, for one feel that way. I think Brother Johns, HarryChiling and some others might as well. Some of us have been very vocal about it as well. I don't see where either my post or Bblaker's was "so critical of others". Maybe you read more into it? I see nothing critical at all written. I actually applaud your not supporting LUX.


Sorry if I offended you.

[jessaroni]

Thanks for all of the great info and help!! I am looking at Kliik and Fysh and am excited about it. Also, we are looking at Coach and possibly Gucci (how does Gucci do?). Not sure of others yet so keep the suggestions coming!!

[cocoisland58]

"Upper-Middle-Class" describes only income. Are you selling to 30-somethings? Old people? Mexicans? Negroes?
We have a lot of Negro customers, and they buy the Bellagio line like it's going out of style (actually it never was in style, but that's another matter). Great wholesale deals and you can get a good margin on them.
The well-to-do Negroes always ask about Gucci, Fendi, etc...but you're in the midwest, so I'm gonna assume you mean white people.
With the honkeys, I sell material and function to the men...get a **** load of titanium, extol its virtues, and sell high-end lenses to the dudes.
For middle-class white chicks, you should be able to sell any tasteful fashion line. If you're having trouble selling normal-looking fashion frames to this group you may need to change your approach or have a different salesperson handle them.

This is quite possibly the most politically incorrect post I have ever read. I am still laughing. Old people = senior citizens, Mexicans = Latinos, Negros? I haven't heard that one since the sixties. In Detroit we call them African Americans or just by their name especially the "well to do" ones. ;) Midwest = white people? Honkeys? I'm sorry, I just found your post interesting. Where are you from?

[Paul E. Carbonate]

This is quite possibly the most politically incorrect post I have ever read. I am still laughing.

Thank you, laughter was the goal.

[john-atlanta]

In our conservative, largely white upper middle class area, the ONLY brand that literally sells itself is Coach. It is like a dang magnet. People see the name on the frame board and just get sucked over there.

Here is my philosophy: Get a few of the highest brand equity brands. To me that is Coach, Nike and Prada. Karl Lagerfeld may leap into that group, but it is too soon to say.

Then carry true jewelry quality brands, such as ProDesign, lafont, Koali.

Get some mid-priced product like Kliik / Fysh and the like.

then get your real money makers, high style, high Frames Book but highly discounted products. Examples include Fezz's favorite, Global and my favorite, Europa (Scott Harris / Cinzia). Others like Lido West.

Finally find some very low priced but fun style products like Taka from New York Eye among many others

In our optical, no one buys a frame because of the name (except Coach, we don't carry Nike yet). Also, Coach and Nike will actually bring people in, even if they choose something else. So they have that "draw" effect. It helps that Coach is limited to only 90 locations in our entire state. This is not true of most other "brands" like timberland, CK, micheal kors, etc. IMHO

Most choose a frame because they like the way they look. So why pay a licensing fee for the name that doesn't help? Instead get the Europa/Global type stuff and charge the same, and therefore get a better margin.

If you have a good optician, they should be able to educate the patients on the unique qualities of Koali's anodized aluminum frames, or ProDesign's inter-changeable temples, etc. That helps the patient understand why they cost more. They will pay even if they never heard of Koali or lafont or ProDesign.

In short, a couple of brands bring them in, then the rest is up to your opticians.

[MarcE]

So why pay a licensing fee for the name that doesn't help?

Exactly. Very few brands are worth the licensing fee. Nike is one of them. It could be Prada or Chanel in other markets - just not mine.

[Crazy-bout-Optics]

Agree with pretty much everyone else, be unique, do not be a warehouse for Lux, they already have them, they're called LC! LOL

As far as Gucci goes, I liked few in their sun line, but did not like their 07-08 Ophthalmic lines at all. Bland if anything, and they didn't get saved by having rhinestones on them.

Just my 2 cents on Gucci.


I stumbled across some frames on this board by a manufacturer that I cannot remember, and of course I cannot find again.

This guy designed for Bang & Olufsen. Then he came out with his own eye wear line which I liked a lot. Do not know price points etc, but beautiful frames none the less.

If any one knows what this line is, please let me know. If you also have pricing, please PM me.

Thanks!

[daysofsun]

I am surpised to hear pro nike comments. You can go to an Nike Outlet Store or Sports Authority and get their sun eyewear next to nothing. Even though they may not have rx frames you are still supporting nike eyewear who is obvioulsy placing you in a dificult sitaution on the sun side of things. They compete against you and they are offering the consumer a better price then you can match.

[spexgrrrl]

In North Dakota, we did especially well with the ProDesign and Kio Yamato lines. High quality....beautiful stuff. You'll absolutely LOVE it...

[jessaroni]

I have been looking at ProDesign and the Kliik & Fysh lines. For those of you familar with both lines, are they similar in design? What about price point? (I am not asking prices, just if they are comparable) Does ProDesign have local reps or do you conduct all business from their main office? any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

[Fezz]

John-Atlanta had a great post. Why pay for licensing? Why pay for brands? BE the brand! Have you considered private label. Why not bring in *designer* or *name brands* that you can heavily promote internally and that are not in every Tom, Dick & Harry Optical!

Most frame companies have *brands* within their line-up. Find a line that you like the quality and styling of and have at it! Find out what the competition is NOT selling-then grab that and run with it!

Brands by all different names! Here are a few that you can snatch up, promote, be excited about, differentiate, and build wealth with! Be different!

Kishimoto
Tony Ferrara
Bellagio
Kashiyama
NRG
New World
Helium
Float
FezzJohns

[john-atlanta]

John-Atlanta had a great post. Why pay for licensing? Why pay for brands? BE the brand! Have you considered private label. Why not bring in *designer* or *name brands* that you can heavily promote internally!

Most frame companies have *brands* within their line-up. Find a line that you like the quality and styling of and have at it! Find out what the competition is NOT selling-then grab that and run with it!

Brands by all different names! Here are a few that you can snatch up, promote, be excited about, differentiate, and build wealth with! Be different!

Kishimoto
Tony Ferrara
Bellagio
Kashiyama
NRG
New World
Helium
Float
FezzJohns

How much does the FezzJohns cost?