Designer frames R.I.P.

[ikon44]

Having recently been offered a range of designer frames at eye watering prices and of indifferent quality i have decided to source quality frames from companies who do not have a massive licencing fee to pay.If any of you can direct me to some US websites I would be grateful.:cheers:

[Chairtime]

Very smart move.

[For-Life]

I always say that name brands are for those who do not like to communicate with their clients

[Chris Ryser]

If any of you can direct me to some US websites I would be grateful.

You should be able to find them on my optical website listing at http://optochemicals.com/web_ratings.htm

[QDO1]

Have a look at

• Stepper - Excelent qulaity, traditional and trendy continental look
• Mexx - Good quality, very trendy
• Norman Cregor - Excelent Quality, Regular unisex / trendy
• Kai Kudo - FAir quality, good price "designer"
• Rodenstock if thats your cup of tea - quality Good, some sides are unadustable, but surprisingly some very trendy frames and price is OK, and even etter after discounts
• Henry Beaumant - varies from season to season
• Andrew Actman (occasional gem's)

[ikon44]

thanks for the feedback guys

[rsandr]

I always say that name brands are for those who do not like to communicate with their clients

Do you not think that when a certain type of person wants a D&G frame, they want the D&G logo visible on the arms, they are not buying them because they think they are quality. They simply want everyone to know that they have spent plenty.

You can communicate all you like with these people and in the end give them what they asked for in the first place.

[drk]

I think Ikon is doing his clients a favor. If you look at mainline vendors and their designer labels (with the exception of Luxottica, which I think is 10% more reasonable) I think you get very little bang for the buck (pow for the pound?). House brand quality with a premium price for styling.

I don't want to push something into the ground, but I really like some of the Prodesign Denmarks. For that matter, try Tura's Ted Baker; you'll be suprised.

[QDO1]

Do you not think that when a certain type of person wants a D&G frame, they want the D&G logo visible on the arms, they are not buying them because they think they are quality. They simply want everyone to know that they have spent plenty

If thats what the customer wants why not give it to them, at a price. I mean people pay for crappy froggie ring tones, and I cant get mey head round that either

[ikon44]

I think Ikon is doing his clients a favor. If you look at mainline vendors and their designer labels (with the exception of Luxottica, which I think is 10% more reasonable) I think you get very little bang for the buck (pow for the pound?). House brand quality with a premium price for styling.

I don't want to push something into the ground, but I really like some of the Prodesign Denmarks. For that matter, try Tura's Ted Baker; you'll be suprised.

dr k do Tura have a website ?

[For-Life]

Do you not think that when a certain type of person wants a D&G frame, they want the D&G logo visible on the arms, they are not buying them because they think they are quality. They simply want everyone to know that they have spent plenty.

You can communicate all you like with these people and in the end give them what they asked for in the first place.

I do not know. I have only lost one customer that I can think of due to lack of brand names.

[Mikef]

I do not know. I have only lost one customer that I can think of due to lack of brand names.

How do you know that!'

How do you know that your custmers don't leave the store and tell their friends you have no brands.

[Mikef]

When someone likes another persons frames 9 times out of 10 they say!

I like your frames!
What kind are they?
Then where did you get them?

If they don't know the brand the 3rd question may never get asked!

[For-Life]

How do you know that!'

How do you know that your custmers don't leave the store and tell their friends you have no brands.

Because I am rather interactive with my customers.

When someone likes another persons frames 9 times out of 10 they say!

I like your frames!
What kind are they?
Then where did you get them?

If they don't know the brand the 3rd question may never get asked!

Disagree. When I was in Uni a few years ago I fixed a few people up. I then saw random people ask those people WHERE THEY GOT THEM FROM. Brand name was never, ever asked.

[Mikef]

Disagree. When I was in Uni a few years ago I fixed a few people up. I then saw random people ask those people WHERE THEY GOT THEM FROM. Brand name was never, ever asked.

OK! But every year for the past 20 years designer brands have gained more % of sales and no names have lost sales.

[Mikef]

Read this!



http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/ri...t/positioning/

[For-Life]

OK! But every year for the past 20 years designer brands have gained more % of sales and no names have lost sales.

Yes, because of the excessive marketing towards distributors. In addition to that for the past 20 years the service outputs of distributors has dropped significantly. In addition to that we have seen the rise of chains and Optomitrists (who I have nothing against, but traditionally have staff less educated in glasses selling the product). Thus this has created a service vaccuum leading to the need to somehow sell product. Alas, brand names fill that void.

Now while that article has some very good points it discusses information overload. Well that is why we have good staff to prevent information overload. Eyewear is a high involvement good. However, the trends have pushed the purchase more and more into a low involvement good, because we have essentially abandoned our clients. This has lead to the need of brand names. However, if a store will work to give better service outputs, be their for its clients and continue to enforce that eyewear is indeed high involvement then information overload is prevented and the brand name is not needed.

[rinselberg]

drk: Does Tura have a website?

Congratulations ikon44! You just said the Secret Word website ... http://www.tura.com/



Whenever a contestant on Groucho's long-running quiz show "You Bet Your Life" said the secret word, a dilapidated duck descended from the ceiling with a $100 bill. Credit: http://timstvshowcase.com/youbety.html

[Alvaro Cordova]

I always say that name brands are for those who do not like to communicate with their clients

I like that :)

[ikon44]

I used to think i needed the branded names but from what i can see now,the distributors seem to think they have just got to put a well known name on any piece of junk then slap a silly price on it and we will fall over ourselfs to buy it.

From what i have already found out there are quite a few frame companies making decent product out there,and best of all i can usually buy 2 or 3 to what one single designer will cost.

[aaron]

I wish I could take you guys on the road with me. Living in Southern California and trying to talk "profitability" and "business identity" through non-branded high quality product and/or luxury artisan collections by designers completely devoted to eyewear is a suicide mission half of the time. But hey! How else can you charge $90 for a crappy frame made in china out of monel unless you spend a little money to have that tiny logo or expensive looking case (made in the chinese factory across the street). etc...etc...etc...

aaron

[Chris Ryser]

From what i have already found out there are quite a few frame companies making decent product out there,and best of all i can usually buy 2 or 3 to what one single designer will cost.

There have always been frame companies that made decent products without the hype of designer name added.

If you follow the commercial news these days " the economy is doing so much better these days"......................and the hear GM is closing 8 plants and eliminating 20,000 worker which will result in another 50,000 in the supply industry.............in Canada the CIBC (2nd largest bank) letting go 30,000 and on and on.

In general people will get scared for their livelyhoods and stop buying high priced tickets.

It will affect the optical and dental professions first. So it's good to have products that can be sold at lower prices than the standard high hype stuff.

[drk]

I wish I could take you guys on the road with me. Living in Southern California and trying to talk "profitability" and "business identity" through non-branded high quality product and/or luxury artisan collections by designers completely devoted to eyewear is a suicide mission half of the time. But hey! How else can you charge $90 for a crappy frame made in china out of monel unless you spend a little money to have that tiny logo or expensive looking case (made in the chinese factory across the street). etc...etc...etc...

aaron

You bring up some new categorizations of frame companies:
1.) non-branded high quality product
2.) luxury artisan collections by designers completely devoted to eyewear.

What, specifically are you referring to? I'm not clear what you're saying, but I'd be very interested in hearing it. Can you elaborate?

[ikon44]

You bring up some new categorizations of frame companies:
1.) non-branded high quality product
2.) luxury artisan collections by designers completely devoted to eyewear.

What, specifically are you referring to? I'm not clear what you're saying, but I'd be very interested in hearing it. Can you elaborate?

sounds just what i am looking for

[ikon44]

Congratulations ikon44! You just said the Secret Word


website ... http://www.tura.com/



Whenever a contestant on Groucho's long-running quiz show "You Bet Your Life" said the secret word, a dilapidated duck descended from the ceiling with a $100 bill. Credit: http://timstvshowcase.com/youbety.html

thanks rinsy, you are to optiboard what google is to the rest of the world :bbg: