I'm moving my office soon from a fairly repressed area to a middle/upper middle class area and would like advice on frame vendors/lines that work well for you. I would like to limit the number of vendors to 4 or 5. I'm also looking to add more sunglasses - any advice would be appreciated. The area is suburban (city population over 500,000).
Thanks,
Mike
What's your target market? Funky and trendy or conservative and professional? 20-30 years old or 60? Are you trying to find a nice round selection for everyone?
My Top 5 Frame Vendors:
1. Private Label
2. Private Label
3. Private Label
4. Private Label
5. Private Label
If you want to find out what's selling in the area, stop in and see what the competition sells (chains & otherwise).
For sunglasses, go to the mall and talk to the lonley guy/gal at the sunglass hut. They'll talk your ear off about what's hot & wht's not. Make sure you tell them your in the business and wnat to know what the best sellers are - they love to show you how much they know.
My primary market is female 20-40's -trendy, but I do want a mix for all.
Mike
It's hard to vote b/c my gem could be ur stone. But if u really want to pick one...
Safilo reps in my area are great. I also like their pricing structure. They have a lot sunglasses too.
Originally Posted by mpowers
Paul @ Silicon Valley California
Good luck with the move:D Were in Jacksonville is this? I used to work in Southside and those ladies and such are different from Mandrin/San Marco. Riverside is completely different from most parts of Jacksonville too.
I it might seem strange, this coming from Minnesota but I might be able to help.
christina
Christina,
I will be on St. John's Bluff near Beach Blvd. So very similar makeup to Southside. I don't know how long its been since you've been to Jax, but St. John's Bluff has grown a lot in the last couple of years - mainly becaue of St. John's Town Center.
Mike
Can you share them!?:D
You really need to determine your demographic outlook first. This month's Eyecare Biz had a few really good articles on this very topic. But I would certainly concur with Johns on seeing what the competition offers. Take a look around - if you see a disparity between local competition, see who's office has the most dust on their frames - that's the office that doesn't have a clue who their clients are. Don't model your buying habits after them.
I would add that branded sunglasses can drive traffic into your office that otherwise would not be in your office. I know Oakley is not a well liked name by some people on this board - but it's a well known name and it will drive sales better than almost any other sunglass mfg simply because of brand recognition.
We've had Oakley in this office for just over 9 months - in a comparable time period the previous year sunwear sales were in the tank. Now, they're about 10% of sales. Not good - but substancially better than under 1%. And most of those sunglass sales have been walk-ins who heard we carry Oakley or saw our rather small ad in the local paper.
Some that are working well for us:
Tura's Ted Baker & LuLu Guiness
Safilo's Kate Spade
Silhouette new plastics/drilled rimless
You know Mike, your market is pretty trendy. My market is 45-55 female and fashion oriented. It's easy for me because I am one of them. If you are not the age and gender of your target market I highly recommend that you get some input from said market before investing in stock. Surely you know someone about 30 who might stand behind your shoulder while you are perusing product. Are you sure you know your market? A twenty year span is not really focused. Are the twenty somethings in childbearing mode? The thirty-somethings soccer mom's? The 40 somethings Have kids in high school or heading to college? Something to consider. It took me 5 years to actually pin down my market.
Sorry, it's private!:D
I have this vision of a team of asian children working in your garage. :)
1. Tura (Ted Baker, Lulu, Tourneau)
2. Safilo (Kate Spade, 9west, etc)
3. Marchon (airlock, flexon)
4. Luxxotica ( much better service lately and wide range of styles)
5. Ideal (for insurance work)
REM eyewear has something for everyone. The Jones styles are classy and elegant for men and women, the Converse line is PERFECT for "tween" boys and even men in early 20's/30's. The Cosmo line is really cute for "tween" girls, and the quality is high.
I also recommend Kenmark. They have everything from Vera Wang to Timex (the latter being perfect for insurance). The quality is again high, and there is a huge variety from classic double bars to the cutest funky chunky plastics you've ever seen.
Is it just a coincidence, or were you aware that the majority of the brands you listed are made by asian children ?:D
Aren't all frames made in Asia now? On another note, does anyone know how I could go about having some frames produced? I have some basic designs that fill a niche in my market. I'd like to entertain the possibility of having them produced. Any ideas?
Thanks-Kevin
Kevin-
We have a few frame manufacturers on Optiboard that may be able to help. I would try 1.) Jerry Huang 2.) Uni-Clip 3.) Maybe Encore Jim? 4.) Doc in China(he may have some contacts). I would also go to Vision Expo and talk with some of the companies there. I did that a number of years ago. The cost was way to prohibitive at the time. Lots have changed since then. I talked a few different frame companies, and got the same basic story. Since that time, "private label" frames have become more of a driving trend in frame manufacture. I will check my notes to see if i can find the companies that i spoke with.
Check out JORDAN frames. A small frame manufact, that is located in Deland Florida. We have been using his frames for over a year now and LOVE them. They are made so excellent, I have been impressed (and that's not easy to do), when I need one replaced under warranty, he sends it out the same day and doesn't charge me for the replacement (he just picks up the "bad" ones on his next visit) However, this hasn't happened much because the frames hold up very well. I don't get any commish, and I don't know him--- just an Optician that loves their line.
Paula
The biggest problem is to meet the minimum quantity that requires to produce a new model efficiently. If you have a good design, you can propose to a manufacturer and allow them to sell to other ECP's and this would make things easier. Otherwise, you can share with your other ECP friends to absorb the minimum. Normally, 300pcs per model if the moulding and fixture is not difficult but can be a lot more if otherwise. Send me PM if you need to know more.
Uni-Clip
(Lak Cheong)
www.acuityeyewear.com
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