So, I just got a job as Lead Optician for a brand new OD's office that will be opening in a month. The OD wants Trendy but not over the top frames. I've never been the most fasion forward of guys so how does everybody else stay ahead or at least keep up with whats trendy. Please what ever help you've got will be awesome.
Depends on one's definition of "trendy". We have done very well with brands such as OGI, Prodesign, Modo, Ted Baker and such. Are you looking for more of the 'boutique' or 'artsy' feel? Or the Warby big-black-hipster thing?
Look into what your competition sells. Trendy might not work in your area.
http://www.optiboard.com/forums/show...ghlight=damned
fashion scares me. Dan has a good idea, take a stroll around the block
on the flip side to dan's comment, trendy may be your offices niche if no one is offering anything of the sort.
Try Etnia Barcelona . They are gorgeous. Not too price crazy for the quality. A nice mix of men/women/unisex looks. The frames each come in 8-9 colors, one of them is a safe choice. It gives you a lot of room to play. Even if this is your one "fun" line it will be a money maker.
As for keeping up on what is trendy. Scan the internet. Do a search on Pinterest or Instagram and see what is getting a good response. Industry mags will give you a bit of info too. Get a Facebook page going and post photos. Have an in office poll about what your next new line should be. Check out the pages of local shops and see what got liked, pinned, retweeted, etc. I often ask people that I see where they got their glasses and why they bought them, what they like about them. People with fun glasses love the compliments and usually to talk about them.
Define "Trendy" and "over the top" for me.
I'm Andrew Hamm and I approve this message.
Honestly I would recommend to start with safer brands with names:
Rayban, Oakley, Tory Burch, Kate Spade, Prodesign, Prada, and Gucci.
They offer the range of styles from simple to out there, have great name recognition, an d are great quality. Keep an eye on what moves during the first 6 months and go from there. When you sell one reorder don't wait for a rep. This will let you know your best sellers, keep people from just going with a frame, and in the mid to long term keep profits up and the Doctor happy.
The better question is what are you comfortable selling? I only offer products we would wear if that was our said niche. Make sure the products fit a niche that you want to be in; we sell 70% drill-mounts and love it when most stores sell almost none!
We sell anything from free with lenses to over $20,000++ but you must know who you are targeting and they will buy what you feel good about. If you look at my site most of the brands we carry are not the ones mentioned yet we as trendy as anyone wants to be but we are also unique.
www.eyetopian.com
Hope it helps.
Be careful with the big national brands such as most listed above here. Remember that this is core product for stores like Lenscrafters and other big box types (Not Prodesign of course). You can stock those names if you choose of course, but bear in mind you are lower on the priority ladder as far as both style availability, and cost to your practice than the box stores, and you are on a likely race to the bottom in terms of pricing for the same product.Originally Posted by Boldt
Differentiate your practice by offering better product at reasonable cost, that isn't towing the same old tired company lines for the mega corporation in direct competition for your dollars and patients. Both you - and your patients - win big time.
I recommend checking out the competition and trying to get "similar but different" brands as much as possible.
Thanks so much to all of you for the great suggestions. My OD is already looking at Modo and Ogi. Thats the type of look i would call Trendy. As far as over the top I was thinking Channel.
Ogi! I forgot about that line, it rocks it out here. Be careful with Channel, I had it at Lenscrafters and it would either fly or never move, nothing in between.
Uilleann: I've had nothing but good luck with the brands. Some times a style gets yanked that was selling, but over all people will gravitate to a name they know.
The funny thing about "the brands" is that their quality continues a rapid decline, their prices continue to go up, and they continue to dilute and degrade what once were respectable names in terms of both quality and style a few short years ago. If you don't mind managing the added headache of unrealistic minimums, being locked out of purchasing the most "popular" styles, being the last to get new styles or shipments you've ordered and so on...
It's a choice we each have when we are looking to offer a service to our clients. But ask yourself if you want to concentrate on another product just because it's "what everyone else has always done"...or if you're looking to be something much more.
I'm sitting in my living room, having just opened a box of 200 OGA frames. I am still amazed at the quality of these, and how loyal of a following they have with clients. Ironically, most consumers have never heard of them, but my customers are constantly being asked what they are wearing, and where they got them.
Build your brand, don't buy it.
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
I haven't been too impressed with the new stuff from OGA in the last couple years. It's like the design team has been looking over the shoulders of the Light-Tec division. That being said, be careful with trendy unless your boss is ok with throwing away a bunch of money by continually chasing trends. Trends are just that, not permanent.
I don't chase trends. I like that the OGAs have colors you don't normally see in other lines, and it sets our offices apart. Yes, I like the Lightec better for the average guy, but OGA really fits a nice niche, and we sell a ton of them.
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
I didn't mean for you to think I was talking your way there Johns. OGA isn't a trend line to me. I'm a fan of every line Morel has going for them. From a design stand point I think the Copenhal was the last innovative frame from that design team. Morel has been making frames for about 135 years and I've found that they're a company that starts trends that others follow. When I think of trends I think of big name brands that have less to do with innovation and frame design and more to do with the name that's stuck on them. **cough** tom ford **cough**
Agreed.
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
Go deeper with a smaller number of big names and build your own brand too. There is plenty of nice "private label" out there, and a lot of good low-price point product. You will find a lot at the various shows, I like the European shows best, always find nice stuff. Spending big $ on unknown brands and becoming a brand ambassador for someone else's company will benefit them more than you! At least the big names spend big $ on advertising. If you are going to be a brand ambassador for an unknown collection, make it your own. It has never been easier to do.
Prodesig Prodesign Prodesign Prodesign Prodesign.
I'm Andrew Hamm and I approve this message.
WHY? Why in God's name would you start a new practice and automatically bend over and grab your knees for Lux? There is so much out there that can be had! We are talking the proverbial kid in a candy store and the first thing that comes to mind is lining Lenscrafter's pockets?
*head expodes*
"Strictly speaking, there are no enlightened beings; only enlightened activity." -Shunryu Suzuki
Pull your head back on.
This has nothing to do with Lux it has everything to do with what sells. The lines I listed are some of the best selling lines that are trendy. This is a STARTING store they don't need to go with off brands to start. Rayban and Oakley are two of the biggest sellers on the market, if they are owned by Lux who cares. Gucci and Kate are Safilo and not in any lux owned/non-franchise operation. Same with Prodesign. Tory Burch is hard to keep in stock. So at what point is any of this a bad idea? All are great quality, come with at least a two year warranty, and a reputation you don't have to build.
Trust me when I say there a crap ton of brands that lux does not own that I sell and love, but I also have to go with what the market says sells. I can sell almost anything, but why spend lots of time selling something when you can let product move its self.
I've worked in offices that sold no lux frames and ones that did (not counting lenscrafters) they ones with the lux have always done better.
FezzJohns 101
Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry
If you like the OGI you may also want to check out Lightec by Morel, great quality and a different look!
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