Results 1 to 22 of 22

Thread: LensCrafters progressives?

  1. #1
    Optician Extraordinaire
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Somewhere warm
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    3,130

    LensCrafters progressives?

    Does anyone know what Essilor progressive LensCrafters is using? MVP or AVP?

    I was shopping LensCrafters today. I picked out a frame and asked for a quote on the lenses. I showed her my prescription. She never asked me a question, just told me the lenses were on sale half price and gave me a reasonable price.

    I had to ask her what she was giving me. She had chosen their better progressive in poly, their better AR. I had to ask her about transition lenses, she never offered them.

    She showed me on an iPad how much better the better progressive was than their standard one. When I asked she told me it was made by Essilor- called it MVP or AVP. When I asked about Varilux she told me they were very expensive-$800 to $1500 and theirs was just as good.

  2. #2
    OptiBoardaholic OptiBoard Silver Supporter
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Scottsdale, AZ
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    296
    Varilux is an Essilor lens line.

  3. #3
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Denver
    Occupation
    Other Eyecare-Related Field
    Posts
    429
    LensCrafters typically has only one knowledgeable optician per store (or sometimes group of nearby stores), and the rest are sales clerks who were selling clothing in a department store in their previous job. The sales clerks work from a strict set of instructions of what they are to offer to customers, without much understanding of any specific customer needs. That is the sales model that apparently works for them and keeps costs down.

    LensCrafters pushes poly on everyone (even when completely inappropriate for hyperopia with strong Rx, etc) and low end Essilor progressives sold under their own brand name. They do occasionally have 50% off lens sales, and at that time it is possible to get a reasonable deal on a Varilux lens at LensCrafters (if you specifically ask for it). Of course, Varilux is no longer the king of hill in terms of progressive lens technology, and the $800-$1500 price claims are exaggerated (at least for average typical selling price).

    There is another thread on this subject which list specific Essilor models used at LensCrafters:
    http://www.optiboard.com/forums/show...nscrafters-use

  4. #4
    Optician Extraordinaire
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Somewhere warm
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    3,130
    Quote Originally Posted by erichwmack View Post
    Varilux is an Essilor lens line.
    Yes, I know that but I didn't want to let her know that I knew that!

    At at my shop our starting prices for Varilux lenses are under $300 a pair, but I didn't say anything when she told me that very exaggerated price.

  5. #5
    Manuf. Lens Surface Treatments
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    in Naples FL for the Winter months
    Occupation
    Other Optical Manufacturer or Vendor
    Posts
    23,240

    Redhot Jumper It is cheaper to repack .......................................

    Quote Originally Posted by Happylady View Post

    I had to ask her what she was giving me. She had chosen their better progressive in poly, their better AR. I had to ask her about transition lenses, she never offered them.

    ...........................................................W hen I asked she told me it was made by Essilor- called it MVP or AVP. When I asked about Varilux she told me they were very expensive-$800 to $1500 and theirs was just as good

    .

    It is cheaper for a lens manufacturer to use different names and envelopes and package the same lenses as different brands and prices. You will never know the difference.

    In the 60s and 1970s when I had my wholesale lab we used AO Tyllier SV lenses until I found out that Imperial used AMOPTIC lenses, a much cheaper lens. At a visit to Southbridge during lunch I popped the question to the then AOCO President about the Amoptic lenses. I was told that I should not know about them, but they where actually the Tyllier' s and it was cheaper to repack and use them than to develop a new range of cheaper lenses. Guess what lenses we used from then on.

    This practise has existed forever.

  6. #6
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    washington
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    1,916
    So, no, the Varilux lenses are actually that expensive. And if you add in the crizal, they jump to 1100. No I'm not kidding.
    The AVP's are essilor accolades if they are made at the store, if made at the central lab I don't know what they are. There are a few different types of mvp's. The cheapest is the Sola one. The other's are laser marked with LC marks that don't jive with anything.
    I don't consider it pushing poly when that's all you offer. We literally have under 50 sets of cr-39 lenses to generate in the store. We actually push 1.60 lenses because they new 'hd' progressive is very decent. Again, no one will tell me what the hell it is.

  7. #7
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Denver
    Occupation
    Other Eyecare-Related Field
    Posts
    429
    Quote Originally Posted by optilady1 View Post
    So, no, the Varilux lenses are actually that expensive. And if you add in the crizal, they jump to 1100. No I'm not kidding.
    The AVP's are essilor accolades if they are made at the store, if made at the central lab I don't know what they are. There are a few different types of mvp's. The cheapest is the Sola one. The other's are laser marked with LC marks that don't jive with anything.
    I don't consider it pushing poly when that's all you offer. We literally have under 50 sets of cr-39 lenses to generate in the store. We actually push 1.60 lenses because they new 'hd' progressive is very decent. Again, no one will tell me what the hell it is.
    I will admit that my information about what LC pushes is a little out of date and may have changed. Modern 1.60 materials are now 41 or 42 abbe value and are highly under-rated by many opticals. The older version of 1.60 was 36 abbe value, but not sure that is still being used by anyone.

  8. #8
    OptiBoardaholic kentmitchell1961's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Nashua, NH
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    272
    I work at an LC part time (and have so for years) the mvp is an ovation, avp accolade and the HD (after much research) is the shamir autograph II that is private labeled through ray ban for their ray ban rox line. Exceptional lens, I have the varilux s 4d, and a hoya mystyle and I still prefer the HD. As to LC people being clerks, sadly very true, they are really relying on their technology and not on people knowing what is going on (and they are addicted to poly). I don't sell poly if possible, anywhere, but prefer 1.60 and trivex (which LC does not offer) but the in house 1.60 is very good and I pushed for a long time to bring stock SV into the stores. And they do inflate inflate varilux prices a hell of a lot, no known reason to me...

  9. #9
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Missouri
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    69
    MVP would be an ovation lens AVP will be the accolade the HD will be the auto 2 and then they do offer the physio enhanced but if I remember right 1800 dollar lens, but then again they have to offer that 1/2 off every once in awhile.

  10. #10
    Optician Extraordinaire
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Somewhere warm
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    3,130
    Quote Originally Posted by optilady1 View Post
    So, no, the Varilux lenses are actually that expensive. And if you add in the crizal, they jump to 1100. No I'm not kidding.
    The AVP's are essilor accolades if they are made at the store, if made at the central lab I don't know what they are. There are a few different types of mvp's. The cheapest is the Sola one. The other's are laser marked with LC marks that don't jive with anything.
    I don't consider it pushing poly when that's all you offer. We literally have under 50 sets of cr-39 lenses to generate in the store. We actually push 1.60 lenses because they new 'hd' progressive is very decent. Again, no one will tell me what the hell it is.

    There are many Varilux lenses but at my store they start at $250.00 a pair. Add Crizal Easy and it's $350.00 a pair. I don't know where you are getting $1,100. Even our top of line Varilux lens is under $600.00 with Crizal. Maybe someone someplace is selling them for over $1,000 but I don't know who.

    I honestly have no issues with poly. I see just fine through it and can't remember the last time I had a patient have a problem with it.

  11. #11
    OptiBoard Professional
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Kalifornia
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    120
    Most stores have phased out the ovation and sola one. Replaced with the ME1 I believe

  12. #12
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    washington
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    1,916
    I don't know where you are all getting the ovation info. Unless lenscrafters bought the ovation molds and re-lasered them all. And I'm being totally serious. Maybe different LC's around the country use different stocks of lenses, because in my store they most definitely are not. The sun lenses are illumina's. I would like to know about the ovations though, because I've always had good luck with them. I'm not a fan of whatever our MVP with AR is. Its really poopy.

  13. #13
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    washington
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    1,916
    Quote Originally Posted by theGross1 View Post
    Most stores have phased out the ovation and sola one. Replaced with the ME1 I believe

    Yes but what the heck is an ME1 That's the lower end progressive with either a/r or extra scratch coating.

  14. #14
    Independent Problem Optiholic edKENdance's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    In the Middle
    Occupation
    Optical Retail
    Posts
    2,630
    Quote Originally Posted by optilady1 View Post
    I don't know where you are all getting the ovation info. Unless lenscrafters bought the ovation molds and re-lasered them all. And I'm being totally serious. Maybe different LC's around the country use different stocks of lenses, because in my store they most definitely are not. The sun lenses are illumina's. I would like to know about the ovations though, because I've always had good luck with them. I'm not a fan of whatever our MVP with AR is. Its really poopy.
    When I was there, in Canada mind you, the MVP had just been created as a lens category. It was the Solamax lens. Ovation was used for basic index jobs. When we eventually sourced jobs out through a central lab for AR we really had no idea what we were gonna get back.

  15. #15
    OptiBoard Professional
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Kalifornia
    Occupation
    Optical Laboratory Technician
    Posts
    120
    Quote Originally Posted by optilady1 View Post
    Yes but what the heck is an ME1 That's the lower end progressive with either a/r or extra scratch coating.
    I'm not sure. The markings looks pretty similar to the sola one just in a white box. I no longer work there so my information is getting a bit old.

  16. #16
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Missouri
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    69
    Same here, my info is a little old. I was in management about 2 years ago at LC so things may have changed around a bit which is understandable.

  17. #17
    Bad address email on file
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Bristol
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    268
    Quote Originally Posted by Eyedentity3 View Post
    MVP would be an ovation lens AVP will be the accolade the HD will be the auto 2 and then they do offer the physio enhanced but if I remember right 1800 dollar lens, but then again they have to offer that 1/2 off every once in awhile.
    1800 for a pair of Physios, did I read that right? What material?

  18. #18
    Independent Problem Optiholic edKENdance's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    In the Middle
    Occupation
    Optical Retail
    Posts
    2,630
    Quote Originally Posted by standarduck View Post
    1800 for a pair of Physios, did I read that right? What material?
    Featherwate Ultra.

  19. #19
    OptiBoardaholic kentmitchell1961's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Nashua, NH
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    272
    Yeah, in other words, nasty poly.......

  20. #20
    Master OptiBoarder AngeHamm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Richmond, VA
    Occupation
    Optical Retail
    Posts
    2,370
    It has long been my understanding that Essilor sells Varilux lenses to independent offices for substantially less than they do to chains with the express purpose of making them more affordable for private practices.
    I'm Andrew Hamm and I approve this message.

  21. #21
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter Judy Canty's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Virginia Beach, VA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    7,482
    I think it would be easier to get Putin's cell phone number than to get confirmation on that.

  22. #22
    Independent Problem Optiholic edKENdance's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    In the Middle
    Occupation
    Optical Retail
    Posts
    2,630
    Someone should just call them right now.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. LensCrafters is now using....
    By OIC in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 23
    Last Post: 01-15-2014, 10:03 AM
  2. What progressives does Lenscrafters use ?
    By rdcoach5 in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 02-12-2013, 05:55 PM
  3. Lenscrafters
    By FredH in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 57
    Last Post: 10-20-2009, 03:25 PM
  4. Lenscrafters
    By Gordo24 in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 26
    Last Post: 07-22-2005, 02:47 PM
  5. LensCrafters
    By DPalmer in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 19
    Last Post: 08-26-2004, 06:27 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •