Our doc is on his next project, and decided to devote board space to the larger brands. Feelings aside, I don't even want to get into the reasoning for this.
So if anyone versed in these lines, I would love to know how many pieces to get IN with:
- Oakley
- Chanel
- D&G
- Prada
- Versace
- Juicy
- Dior
- Gucci
- Coach
- Fendi
Tobias
I know it's not your decision but are they sure they want to do this? That aside, there may be minumum buy ins for each line. You'll want to check with the local reps and it could vary by rep and region. If this is some kind of great experiment you might also consider doing a six month consignment instead of a buy. I assume you are the buyer so can I also assume you know your market and old women have been clamoring for Dior?
Looks like a list of the most stolen frames. Make sure he's aware you will have to ramp up your security.
DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country."
Kiss your profits Au Revoir!
Not to mention that it means that you carry what everybody else carries. That's a great strategy if you want to participate in the inevitabe price wars your patients will conduct.
Originally Posted by toby j
I hope that helps!
Last edited by Fezz; 03-04-2010 at 08:43 AM.
Not sure, but pretty sure 18 would be minimum on some and 24 on others.
I would look hard at the quality/price ratio...some of those are a rip-off, IMO.
A lot of ODs that own opticals want to take the perceived shortest route between "here" and "great optical". It's simplistic/naiive to think that throwing money at the "big brands" is the correct route. However, many OD opticals are sub-standard and do need a little "street cred", hence the perception that branding is the way to go.
Say good by to easy returns and hello to re-stocking fees!!
I came, I saw, I left
If you get them from "Frames Direct" your minimum quantity only one and the price is ok
Hope that helps. Sorry if I was a bit blunt. But, as Nietzsche says, "The truth is ugly." If thats the case there are alot of honest people out there.
- Optician
- Frame Maker/Designer
- Teacher of the art of crafting handmade eyewear.
In the shop I work for we only carry Oakley and Prada of these brands.
They both belong to Luxottica in Europe (not sure for Oakley in USA?). We do keep these as they sell occasionally because some clients really like that style here, but they're certainly not the top sellers. Sunglasses Oakley do sell quite well, however not as good as Serengeti
The buy-in for Oakley was 40 optical and 20 solar, Prada I don't know exactly, think it was around 30
I give you a lot of credit for doing a bit of research before pulling the trigger on any of these. Keep in mind, that while the responses may not have been what you expected (or maybe they were), almost all of them are based on actual experiences they've/we've had with these companies.
Just think of how many doctors jump in head first, w/out anybody checking things out, and end up with a white elephant they can't give away.
Why don't you suggest to the doctor that you take a trip to VEE and see some really UNIQUE lines that your competition won't have, but at the same time, will bedazzle your clients, and set you apart as THE place to go for the latest and greatest in eyewear?
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
Johns puts it so delicately, but you know he's laughing his @$$ off.
Fezz says "double zero". That's just wrong. :)
"Gucci makes Dior look hot".
You guys kill me.:D
- oakley zero
- chanel zero
- d&g zero
- prada zero
- versace zero
- juicy zero
- dior zero
- gucci double zero
- coach zero
- fendi zero
:bbg:
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
When I bought in to Coach, it was 20 ophthalmic, 10 sun as minimum. I whined incredibly because of the sun, I've never done anthing with suns, but I was required to do the suns as part of the buy in.
Sold 5 of the suns in less than a month.
Got just one Coach sun at the front check out desk with the case displayed. That frame turns over about every 3 weeks.
For POP, I just have a display of the coach cases, and the better than 50% of the ladies with Coach bags end up buying the Coach glasses.
Don't remember my minimum on the Gucci buy in, probably something like 20.
Too many designers is a problem. I've done well with just Coach and Gucci.
NO STONES, THEY FALL OUT. A dispensing friend of mine has that problem with the Dolce frames and they get discontinued too fast.
Harry
no one has mentioned the yearly minimum issue.
its no problem when business is booming, but thanks to the great recession both my Gucci and Coach accounts got closed. stuck with the inventory and can't service what you sell.(can't get a warrantee replacement) the companies are jerks, and good luck getting any help from your rep, if you did not buy your minimum they don't know you. I guess I could put them in a box and bring them out as vintage in 10 or 20 years !
so, I found this thread researching Versace frames. I guess I'll hold off on all the listed name brands in the thread (won't pull the trigger!). Can anyone suggest a name brand that DOES do well? I am an OD looking to add a 20-30 high end frames to my inventory. I've always read that you should have a few $400-500 frames to make your $200-300 ones look more affordable. Thanks for your advice! I currently have accounts with Clearvision, Kenmark and Marchon. looking to maybe add Safilo....
Kjreha, you can always go for Lindberg, Orgreen, Theo, IC! Berlin, Cartier,... for good quality frames in that budget.
In our dispensary we carry many of the Safilo lines, including Juicy Couture, Kate Spade and Nine West. It may just be our market here but those are some of our top sellers. All of our Safilo Reps are fantastic. Our Gucci Rep is a little pushy but that could also be because we are dropping the line. Safilo has always been great with accepting returns although they like to keep it under a certain percentage as compared to sales. Juicy Couture is going to be a much more affordable price point than either Gucci or Dior and we really do very well with their frames. The suns are great, we have sold them to women between 13 and 60 if that tells you anything about the versatility of the brand. Decisions of course are up to you but I would encourage you (and your OD) to know your market and the frames. No one wants to bring in a tween line when you really need LOL's. Buy in's and yearly purchase quotas can be a BIG deal. Your OD should be aware of this as you work to consider branching out into new lines. Hope this helps!!
I am dying reading this thread that an Eye Doctor, wants to to support the brands that are also his competitors.?? Wait until a Lenscrafters, Sunglass Hut, Pearle or an O Store opens up down the hall or in your strip plaza. As I am a OD and own a sunglass specialty store. no one brand will control me or my business. Oakley is a good brand, that I make $$$ selling but they are not the Oakley or Revo, that I was proud to sell ten years ago when both brands were not made made in China or owned by Lux. I just looked at Serengetti and all they did was rip off Maui Jim. Foucs on brands that are not owned by the big three if you can and have the time to do the home work to separate yourself from all the others.
Sorry to tell you, but Serengeti did not in any way rip off Maui Jim since they exist much longer then them. The lenses of Serengeti are of higher quality then MJ's as well. For starters Serengeti lenses are photochromic and have more effective blue light filters.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Are you sure about what you write; only some Serengeti's are photocromatic and they are glass. They do have the new NXT lenses, but they are basically the same as the Maui Evolution or the Keanon 91 lens.
What level of blue light contol is ideal? I maintain there is no best or we would be seeling alot more Serengeti's than they currently sell.
Do you also believe the Bolle lens is best for all tennis players?
Craig
Never worked with Bolle, so I can't tell.
And yes, I'm sure of what I say. All of Serengeti's lenses are photochromic (Look in their catalogue) You can choose between polarized or not. They have glass lenses (since they first started in I believe the 70ies) and poly: the Polar PhD in NXT, and before that the polarmax in polycarb. All of them available in 3 colors: brown (Drivers), green (555nm) and rose-red (Sedona)
levels of blue light filtering are indeed disputable.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
You sound like my Serengetti rep. He showed me the line last week, I looked at the styles and 80% of them were exact copies of Maui Jim. If Serengetti lens are that good, why are they copying all of Maui Jim's styles.?? I have carried Serengetti in the past and sold it just OK to the customers who remembered it from 10 years ago. I tried on all of their pieces and could tell they are made in China or wherever. I compared the quality of the frames and lens to Maui Jim, and it was game over. I do not need a brand that copies one of the best seller's in my store, with their frames and POP. I am not a big fan of so called," performance brands" that are followers and not leaders . Maybe you do not carry Maui Jim or Oakley, so you have nothing to compare Serengetti to, who knows. I know that Oakley has a great photochromic lens and that Maui Jim is releasing a new form of this technology by the end of the year , that actually get's dark enough for a sunny day. I say " create new memories" and stick with what makes me the most $$$$$.
Strata was my favorite lens from years ago!
I hated the frames. Had to recut it in something nicer!
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