What's going on with Luxottica?

[paw]

Chris, you said,
" Good salespitch to a customer:

"Would you like a brand name product or something better?" "

If only it were that easy. Brands are all about image. Many people want Gucchi or Ray-Ban or (name your brand) because they want the image of that brand.

We have a long-time, loyal patient who found a Gucchi frame elsewhere but wanted to keep doing business with us, so she asked us to order it for her. We don't carry Gucchi, but I did order the frame just for her. The frame developed a problem, so I ordered another. The same problem developed on the replacement. It was a design flaw. I was not impressed with Gucchi. I could have directed the patient to a much better frame, but it DIDN'T HAVE THE GUCCHI NAME.

The designers know that, and that's what it's all about (for a lot of people, anyway.)

[fletch]

http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryList...=gls=4=35=127=

[aaron]

Fletch,

I definetly understand your point. I am unaware of any Safilo stores here in So. Cal. But please let me know what they are called. I may have to rethink my business. And there are still plenty of large companies that are not Lux or Safilo. Unless maybe you are out in the midwest somewhere and your frame/rep selection is a little pigeon-holed. I do carry brand names because lets face it, some consumers are just going to buy based on a name. But I don't have alot of peopl come in asking for one specific brand. They usually have a specific NEED that they think will be met by a specific brand, but can be even better suited by another brand etc....

I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. I haven't had any of the companies that I work with go out of business on me yet but maybe it is looking around the corner. You just seem to have a pesimistic attitude about your role in the whole thing. I can't do anything about it so why make life hard for myself. I certainly can't judge you for that! :cheers:

Let me know what those stores are called if you don't mind.


ad

[fletch]

Aaron

go to the link I posted above!

They are called Solstice!

They are said to be owned by Solstice Marketing a private company! Guess who owns Solstice Marketing Safilo!

They have a place in Beverly Hills!

[fletch]

Aaron

go to the link I posted above!

They are called Solstice!

They are said to be owned by Solstice Marketing a private company! Guess who owns Solstice Marketing Safilo!

They have a place in Beverly Hills!

Actually aaron i think I'm an optomist! The only person that I feel can put me out of business is me. If I run my business on emotion that might happen! I sell what sells and try to make my customers as happy as I can! I like to tell my customers yes instead of no!

Lunch is over bye!

[Chris Ryser]

fletch said:

What do you do when you buy 100 frames form a small company that then the go out of business?

What do you do when the little company gets big?

Many small companies don't make it! And how do you know that their frames are not made by Luxottica or a factory that they own?

Usually the small company goes out of business because they are not selling enough to sustain their expenses. That is a very simple fact.

If they would sell a little more than just covering their expenses that could be called profit.

But you can only make profit if you sell over your break even point and that goes for the retailer, the distributor and the manufacturer.

Therfore you have to make the effort to convince the customer that Las Vegas is mostly glitter and make believe like some of the advertising we see in every field. You have to become a frame SELLER and not an order taker

(Lke the ladies hairdresser where women come in with a picture out of a fashion magazine modelling some hairstyle on a sexy young model, and they want the same style that wont help them looking 25 when they are 72 1/2 years old)

I am an old boy in the optical trade and when I grew up in the retail end we used to have to take sales psychology courses where we were trained to just about sell Fridgidaires to Eskimos.

Another sales pitch that used work fine. (First shock the person and then flatter her)

"Madam you have a garbage face" and you could just see the person getting insulted and hurt and ready to walk out of the store.

Punch line:
"What I really wanted to say is that I can take just about any garbage frame sittiung in my office, put it on your face and you still look beautiful. You have one of the rare faces that can wear just about anything."

I don't know if the shock and flatter method still would work today but it for sure did in the 50s and 60s.

We used to sell the frames suggested the right shape and colour besides the technical aspects.

If you guy's and girls out there in the retail would start learning some sales psychology you would also detect the advertisng angle with which the large companies arte trying to influence and brainwash the public.

Lets not forget that good and properly used sales psychology has even elected dictators, kept them in power,who then started wars supported by their brainwashed citizens.

The powerful companies have all the financial mean and needs at their fingertips and they are calling the shots. They use all the brainwash methods that are available to them.

Its all about power and who wins and dictates.

You give them all your business you just get caught more and more in the catch 22 position. If you spread your purchases at least to a part to the smaller guy's and also sell his products you have put some breaks on the time span when the optical business world will be totally dominated by 2 or 3 super companies who are going to tell you when you have to go to bed and when to get up in the morning.

Now it's your turn to rip my ideas apart and continue the argument.

[Chris Ryser]

LUXOTTICA GROUP ANNOUNCES PUBLIC OFFER TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL 20 PERCENT OF RAYBAN SUN OPTICS - SUBJECT TO THE DECISION BY THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA -


Milan, Italy, October 30, 2003 - Luxottica Group S.p.A. (NYSE: LUX; MTA: LUX) today announced, in compliance with directions issued on August 29 by the Securities Appellate Tribunal in India (SAT), its intention to launch through its subsidiary Ray Ban Indian Holdings Inc. a public offer to acquire an additional 20 percent of the outstanding shares of RayBan Sun Optics India Ltd.. RayBan Sun Optics is a company listed on the Indian market.

Luxottica Group had appealed against the decision that required Luxottica Group to make a public offer to the Supreme Court of India. Following the appeal, the Supreme Court mentioned that the public announcement and any further steps related to this offer will be subject to its decision.

Leonardo Del Vecchio, Chairman of Luxottica Group, stated: “As announced earlier, the maximum expected investment related to this offer, would be approximately EUR 16 million, including stipulated interest increment, which would have no material financial impact on the Group. As a result of the offer, in case of full acceptance, the indirect shareholding in RayBan Sun Optics India Ltd. would increase from approximately 44 percent to 64 percent.”


About Luxottica Group S.p.A.
Luxottica Group is the world leader in the design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of prescription frames and sunglasses in mid- and premium-priced categories. The Group’s products are designed and manufactured in its six facilities in Italy and one in the People’s Republic of China. The lines manufactured by Luxottica Group include over 2,450 styles in a wide array of colours and sizes and are sold through 21 wholly-owned subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Switzerland, Mexico, Belgium, Argentina, South Africa, Finland, Austria, Norway, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia; two 75%-owned subsidiaries in Israel and Poland; a 70%-owned subsidiary in Greece; three 51%-owned subsidiaries in the Netherlands, Turkey and Singapore, one 49%-owned subsidiary in the Arab Emirates and one 44%-owned subsidiary in India.

[fletch]

Chris,


I believe I am a seller! I try to up-sell as much as possible. I also sell a lot of second pairs!

In any business you have to change with the times! Selling now is much different then even 5 years ago! There are many more options!

One thing I learned in business school is the worst thing you can tell a customer is NO!

You might be able to make a big sale but if the customer is not happy 10 days later they will never come back! Independents need return business chains don't!

Chris!

Mikef said How has Luxottica buying Lenscrafter hurt independents?"

I don't think that has been answered!

Chris I think you have more of a theory of what might happen! It's been years since Luxottica bought LC ! And I just don't see any difference!


NOW I'm not saying your wrong! It might come back to bite me 10 years from now! But then I will retire anyway! I Hope!

Chris don't give up I'm having fun now! Luxottica fights are always fun! Look at the number of views!
I'm trying to get Safilo fights going too but nobody wants to play!

[LENNY]

I think if you buy 100 frames from a no name company and if you can sell 10 of them at retail price you already broke even.
The rest is profit.
Lets say the company is gone so what!
Leave couple of frames for parts for 6 month and if nobody comes back with a broken frame sell them.
Usually for the money that i spend for 6 designer frames i can get 10 styles and 3 colors each (did i mention in box quantaties of 10 pieces) for the total of 300 frames.
Now tell me what will make me more profit and less overhead?

[aaron]

noone wants to fight because noone wants to give up Safilo!:D

[Joann Raytar]

There is a vague mention of a $5 million acquisition of chain of Solstice sunglass stores from LVMH Specialty Retail Concepts, LLC on an attorneys resume page and some mention of Safilo/Solstice events on a music news page. That's is about it; I don't think the Safilo website mentions anything about an acquisition.

[Mikef]

This was in vision monday!

PARSIPPANY, N.J.--Sàfilo Group is currently negotiating to acquire some assets of the six Solstice sunwear-specialty stores owned by luxury-goods firm LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Claudio Gottardi, president/CEO of Sàfilo USA, said Sàfilo views the move as "an important marketing opportunity to help increase the reputation of its luxury brands in a small, high-end sunglass retail environment."

LVMH's Selective Distribution Group opened the first Solstice store in Orlando, Fla., in November 1999.

Click here!
http://www.hewm.com/clients/corpmaeng.asp?practiceID=10

[Johns]

It's not about "fights", it's about staying in business.

In this fight, I'd be considered a pacifist, I simply took Safilos, and Lux's (again) ammúnition away. I stopped buying. I don't bang a drum about it to my optical peers until they moan and groan about lack of profits.

Lux & Safilo don't even miss me. I'm not even a drop in the barrell to them. I don't care...it's not about them, it's about me, and the profit I need to make to support my family, put a bunch of it away for retirement, and keep my customers happy.

They don't need me, and I don't need them

[Chris Ryser]

[QUOTE]fletch said: Chris,

From your posts it sounds like you don't sell frames anyway!

fletch,

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it . You only have one problem which is, you don't explain why you do have this particular opinion.

Therefore by making an accusation without giving a detailed reasons is not very substantial and valid.

[QUOTE]I believe I am a seller! I try to up-sell as much as possible. I also sell a lot of second pairs!

fletch

In order to be a good seller, you have to be able to explain, and also get the explanation across to whoever it should go to.
Making claims is easy, but to substantiate them is a little harder.

Why not, tell the Optiboard audience "what you do" to sell a lot of second pairs. You are on the Optoboard, incognito, to profit from other optical people's opinions, how about giving something to them Many would like to hear what method you are using to be so successfull.

[QUOTE]I'm trying to get Safilo fights going too but nobody wants to play! !

fletch.

When nobody wants to play, it is usually that the subject, or the presentation of the subject is badly done and awakens no interest in your Optiboard members. And here again. you might have done a bad sales job in this case.

[Chris Ryser]

Johns said:
It's not about "fights", it's about staying in business.

They don't need me, and I don't need them

Johns

I think that was a good and fair comment !

They do not miss you.........................but if 5000 of the 3 O's would do the same.........................maybe they would.

[fletch]

Chris!


You asked how I sell second pairs! Well we carry a large amount of sunglasses and that helps! Plus we ask all of our customers if we can see thier sunglasses to clean them and adjust them! If they say they do not have any! You know the rest!

I make it a point to ask every customer if they have a second pair or a pair of suns!

When A customer comes in and says they don't want to spend too much money we still ask the same questions!

Also I ask people how much do the spend on shoes and how much on glasses! This one works better on women!


Just so you know I have no problem with Safilo! I even think I spend more with them than Lux! When they opened a Solstice about 20 minutes from us I thought it might hurt! We actually get many customers telling us they went in there and could we get the Doir or Gucci that they saw there! We get that from Sunglass Hut too.

Oakley has retail stores too! I wish I could get them! The guy across the street from us has them and the rep won't sell to us. The day they say yes I will buy them! (If people still want them)

I took a class of few years ago for small business people! They basically said to let the big guys do all the work and ride their coat tails! When a designer starts to run ads we put that brand in the window! We also have a Large Ray-Ban banner in the another window! Everybody knows the name Ray-Ban! I think when they see the sign they say hay I can get sunglasses over their.

[jediron]

fletch said:
You asked how I sell second pairs! Well we carry a large amount of sunglasses and that helps! Plus we ask all of our customers if we can see thier sunglasses to clean them and adjust them! If they say they do not have any! You know the rest!

You know the rest! What rest? You never said a word about how
you sell. The only thing you said was: we ask about second pairs
and sunglasses.

:hammer:

[fletch]

Jediron!

Sorry!

We then tell the how important it is to have a second pair and to have sunglasses.
I will ask people if they can drive or read or even worse golf without their glasses! If they say no I say if you break this pair how are you going to get to work or do you work or have fun!

Also I have some pictures of people with different eye problem caused or helped along by the sun!

I think you can sell more second and third pairs to people if you try it on everyone! and we try to do that! The answer to every question is always no if you don't ask!

Not everyone buys a second pair but when you only have a shot at these people every year or two so I think you have to try as hard as you can! I myself believe that everyone should have 3 or 4 pairs! That might never happen but it would be nice$$$$$

[Shutterbug]

I definitly agree with fletch!

I was in Ecuador two years ago, and went from point A to point B in a "taxi" which was a pickup truck. During the ride, I was messing with my hat when the wind took my glasses right off my head. At 50 MPH I didn't expect to find much, but I could not find even a piece of my specs!

Now I'm over 30 years in optics - but DUH, no back-ups! So I shell out $85 (that's alot down there) for PGX Glass spherical equivalents! Two weeks, cranky and near blind will teach you alot!

OH YEAH, every one should have extra pairs and have them WITH them!

:hammer:

shutterbug

[fletch]

Shutterbug Shutterbug Shutterbug!

I take 3 pairs of suns when I go on vacation!



I forgot one important thing about selling second pairs! We pay are opticians $15 for every second pair over $115(Frame only)

[Johns]

FLETCH,

[Chris Ryser]

Thank you guy's

At least you have given your points in detail so all can benefit from expirience.