New Years Resolution: No Returns, No Exchanges ...................................

[Chris Ryser]

Congratulations to the Optical Vision Site .............................

Just read the post by Cathy and it makes a heck of good sense.

Here is the excerpt:


New Years Resolution: No Returns, No Exchanges
December 18, 2016 By Cathy


One area of inventory management that we challenge eyecare professionals to do in 2017 is to eliminate returning and exchanging eyewear.

Unfortunately the advantage of Being Able to Return Product costs everyone. Suppliers, eyecare offices and even the consumer. It is inefficient way to do business, because the buyer is not accountable to make good buying decisions.

I don’t care if the rep says if it doesn’t sell you can always return it. Remember every time you have to return a frame, you are losing money.

I would challenge you to look at your return rates, your vendors all track this. If you have a return rate over 8%, you need to fix it. High returns could be due to a myriad of reasons:

See the whole article: ============>
http://www.theopticalvisionsite.com/...ision+Site+%29

[mervinek]

December 18, 2016 By Cathy

Remember every time you have to return a frame, you are losing money.

Just in shipping costs, returns make you loose money. The shipping costs alone make me crazy.

[optical24/7]

Every manufacturer b!tches about returns, but try to find any major player that will give you a reasonable discount for a no return policy!

[Chris Ryser]

Every manufacturer b!tches about returns, but try to find any major player that will give you a reasonable discount for a no return policy!

It is not the manufacturer, or wholesaler that *****es it is the salesrep that is doing it. Having been in that type of business for 20 years I have learned it all.

Sales reps work on a commission base. In my previous company we paid them 20% on direct sales and 10% on repeat orders. When frames were returned the sales rep had to give back, or was charged back the commission he/she was paid originally.

If as an optician you want to have cheap samples in your store you buy a batch and return them 6 month later, and or get some new, different models. That way you get them cheap and the selling company is on the hook for returns.

I bet you all the tea in China that any frame company would be happy to make a deal with you for no returns except for warranty problems. These days frames, are allready originally overpriced because of above reasons, forced by standard return policies.

Most companies would probably be happy to get no return sales, and discount the retailer the added value of the return policy, and work with a normal standard markup.

We are all not selling the frames that are sold through the internet, retailers as well as wholesalers, and there are millions of them. To make a good arrangement with your suppliers should be a priority instead of fighting them for the right to return frames whenever you feel like it.

[Mick]

Avant Garde, now Lux, seems to be the culprit of this plan from frame co's. They offered RETURNS! on unsold frames. However prices, not withstanding inflation, went from $ each to $$ each, and now $$$. This was unheard of by other frame suppliers, so you carefully purchased what you think you could sell. Now we are encouraged to purchase box loads of frames with the option to return for new product. They don't mention the costs involved with inventory monies and costs of returning. It is so easy to say, I'll take that and that and that, without worrying if they will sell. I would gladly carefully decide what product to sell for a lower price, knowing it is MINE forever, unless it does sell.

[optical24/7]

It is not the manufacturer, or wholesaler that *****es it is the salesrep that is doing it. Having been in that type of business for 20 years I have learned it all.

.

Yes Chris, it is the wholesaler/manufactuers that will not offer the no return for lower price policy. Listen, reps would love it too since they wouldn't get back charged on returns.

[Chris Ryser]

Yes Chris, it is the wholesaler/manufactuers that will not offer the no return for lower price policy. Listen, reps would love it too since they wouldn't get back charged on returns.

It is easy to see and figure out what frames cost these days ex factory, in China, were most of them are made. Just go on Alibaba.com and ask for eyeglass frames and you will find hundreds of them.

A wholesaler/distributor/importer has to cover his back since the return and send back policy of samples started, and forced in by optical retailers in the early 1980s.

When opticians return frames they have been handled on frames boards for 5 month to a year, or sometimes more, are scratched, dirty, crooked and often out of shape and there is often no more original packaging.

So it has become a trend that frame distributors charge a certain percentage more in their selling price to cover for the loss or returned frames, or he charges you a fee.