How to get new eyewear line into stores?

**abe** · 09-11-2015, 01:16 PM

Hi, I'm new here, I'm in the process of designing a new eyewear line, the idea is to offer something unique that can't be bought online. They're handmade from buffalo horn but will retail at the price point of designer acetate frames ($395-$450)

How would I go about getting them into stores?

I'd like to start slow like with 2 or 3 designs for the first collection. (Does that make sense?)

Any tips on how to go about this would be very much appreciated!

Thanks

**Chris Ryser** · 09-12-2015, 12:26 AM

Find yourself a distributor that has sales reps that can do personal selling.

I used to sell turtle shell frames in the 1960s to selected optical stores that dealt with customers that could afford them

**rbaker** · 09-12-2015, 10:24 AM

Back in the day when the supply chain included a level in independent wholesale frame distributors and not dominated by the frame manufacturers (how's that working out for you) all you would have had to do was put some of your product in a sack and hit the bricks and visit the independent wholesalers and make them a deal to distribute your product. Alas, those days are gone, at least for the foreseeable future. So, I guess that you are going to have to find some independent optical retailers to carry your product.

**abe** · 09-12-2015, 07:43 PM

Thanks for the replies! What about starting with only 2 styles? Would stores be receptive?

**Robert_S** · 09-14-2015, 03:59 AM

2 styles will leave a very small chance that any given customer will suit one.... which mean they will probably hang around for a while and the staff selling them will most likely lose confidence in the product... which leads to a vicious circle as they are then hesitant to ask a customer to try it. I would say 5 styles minimum assuming it's a gents/ladies only brand.

Just my opinion!

**Craig** · 09-14-2015, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by abe

Thanks for the replies! What about starting with only 2 styles? Would stores be receptive?

No one would put in 2 styles because if it was so unique you would have 10+ to start based on a concept or niche.

Why would I want to sell less expensive horn when we can sell it for mucho dinero? It is a lot of work and not the best material over-time.

**abe** · 09-16-2015, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by Craig

No one would put in 2 styles because if it was so unique you would have 10+ to start based on a concept or niche.

Why would I want to sell less expensive horn when we can sell it for mucho dinero? It is a lot of work and not the best material over-time.

Thanks for the tips. The idea is to sell to stores that don't have a customer base that can afford $1,000+ a frame.

Also what do you mean by, "it is a lot of work" are you referring to fitting with lenses?

**abe** · 09-18-2015, 01:03 PM

Also what questions should I expect from potential customers (optical stores)? What information about the frames will they want to know? (So that I'm prepared)