Eyeing the End of the Optical Retail Store ..............................

[Chris Ryser]

Eyeing the End of the Optical Retail Store

With new online retailers putting pressure on the price of eyewear, the traditional optical retail outlet looks set for change, writes Tzvi Balbin.

It Was a refreshing experience. Sales staff were helpful and insightful. They Expertly matched my face ‘type’ to an acceptable style and I left happy with my choice. Parting with $600 – including lenses – was easy.

Ilie. I need to tell you the truth.


I did enjoy a fantastic experience, and the sales staff were amazing. They did matchmy face type and I was happy with the chosen pair. However, I’m from adifferent generation. I pulled out my iPhone, did a price comparison,negotiated a little and subsequently handed over $280 (including lenses) for the same pair of Ray Ban glasses to an offshore retailer (using a slick optimised mobile site).


Increasingly,this will become an all too common occurrence. Try locally and buy online.E-commerce facilitates an open global market place chock full of information and potentially stymies the profitability of traditionally strong bricks and mortar verticals.

continue reading:
http://www.powerretail.com.au/insigh...l-retail-store

[optimensch]

This article is over 4 years old....sort of dusty
I read a different dusty article yesterday from 4 years ago telling you that at $500 bitcoin was way overbought, a bubble, and to stay away.
4 years on the interwebs is around 40 years pre 1994.

[optimensch]

The sharp-eyed (with is new cheap raybans bought online) Carl Bernstein investigative reporter says that Rayban should sell direct to consumers, and therefore not share margin with Luxottica.
Where does one even begin....

[Chris Ryser]

The sharp-eyed (with is new cheap raybans bought online) Carl Bernstein investigative reporter says that Rayban should sell direct to consumers, and therefore not share margin with Luxottica.
Where does one even begin....

Here is a 4 year old article predicting the future. It is interesting that most of it is actually happening or worse.

Ray Ban were the top sunglasses back home in Switzerland, when I was a young optician. The frames were GF (gold filled) and top quality, so were the lenses.

However he could not predict anything about the super merger coming soon, after approval by the balance of the deciding governments.

[EyeManDan]

Keep in mind the death of brick and mortar really has very little to do with online sales. Most of what we see with all these stores filling for chapter 11 and going out of business has more to do with investment groups and holding companies that buy these companies, restructures the debt make themselves money and shut the company and they make millions.

And if we think about it further, Amazon is getting into brick and mortar as well as Warby Parker.

[Quince]

Another reason to carry frames that don't have options to buy online.

Also- how can someone not feel like a douche writing this article? 'I used their on-hand product (that costs money) and expertise (time) to then rip them off by finding, what THEY helped me pick out, online.'

No way I'm fighting for THAT patient. Talk about a lack of respect that will obviously never lead to loyalty.

[Chris Ryser]

And if we think about it further, Amazon is getting into brick and mortar as well as Warby Parker.

I could not comment about Amazon, but WP is getting into B&M showrooms awaiting what the new ESSILUX is getting into, with their over 5,000 LensCrafter stores, to support their many Internet opticals.

[fjpod]

I'm aware of a couple of WB B&M stores opening in the NYC area shortly.

[Tallboy]

I'm aware of a couple of WB B&M stores opening in the NYC area shortly.

There has been one in Georgetown DC for years.

[Scooby Snacks]

Another reason to carry frames that don't have options to buy online.

Also- how can someone not feel like a douche writing this article? 'I used their on-hand product (that costs money) and expertise (time) to then rip them off by finding, what THEY helped me pick out, online.'

No way I'm fighting for THAT patient. Talk about a lack of respect that will obviously never lead to loyalty.

Agreed. Does anyone else gets irritated when patients ask for a PD measurement so they can buy glasses online? And many times they end up right back at my store complaining that they can't see out of them. You get what you pay for applies to everything.

[EyeManDan]

I love it when that happens, Just had it yesterday, we now have a patient for life.

[Chris Ryser]

Agreed. Does anyone else gets irritated when patients ask for a PD measurement so they can buy glasses online? And many times they end up right back at my store complaining that they can't see out of them. You get what you pay for applies to everything.

............................not quite.

It would be a good idea to also ask from which online optical they purchased the glasses with which they can not see.

There are now 17 online opticals that belong to Essilor and a few to Luxottica and they will make up the largest percentage of all of them following the merger in a few month from now.

If you like it or not, a company like Essilor has never sold any bad quality products. They have always been a leader in the optical trade and been on the side of new products.

So you will have to differentiate between online opticals, because a large part of them is competing with top quality and low pricing, and that should not be generalized.

[jefe]

Another reason to carry frames that don't have options to buy online.

Also- how can someone not feel like a douche writing this article? 'I used their on-hand product (that costs money) and expertise (time) to then rip them off by finding, what THEY helped me pick out, online.'

No way I'm fighting for THAT patient. Talk about a lack of respect that will obviously never lead to loyalty.

+1

[tmorse]

............................not quite.

It would be a good idea to also ask from which online optical they purchased the glasses with which they can not see.


If you like it or not, a company like Essilor has never sold any bad quality products. They have always been a leader in the optical trade and been on the side of new products.

So you will have to differentiate between online opticals, because a large part of them is competing with top quality and low pricing, and that should not be generalized.

I agree. Many years back I recall an Essilor advertisement that said they spend 5% of revenue on R&D. Huge $$ commitment that should be recognized.

[Robert_S]

Can't be bothered listening to this anymore. We are thriving. Other independent optical stores are thriving. Yes we need to improve and adapt constantly. Tell us something new for once Chris. You actually don't have a clue.

[Robert_S]

Oh and Chris, if you knew anything about business You would know that price is one of the least influential aspects in a buying decision. Yes people think it's important, but very very rarely does anyone pick the cheapest of anything.

[Chris Ryser]

Oh and Chris, if you knew anything about business, You would know that price is one of the least influential aspects in a buying decision. Yes people think it's important, but very very rarely does anyone pick the cheapest of anything.

My sense of business let me build up a few companies from scrap and own, operate and enjoy a 55 foot motoryacht for 25 years, in my free time.

....................I also know that times have changed just about 100%. Whole countries are going bankrupt and millions of people are without jobs in every corner of the globe.

Having a booming business today does not mean anymore that it will be the same in a few years from now as it used to. The eyeglass retail business lives 2/thirds from older people born in times where the word *internet and computer* was still parked in outer space. This generation is now slowly joining their forefathers and being replaced by modern handy owners.

At my last birthday party there were 18 people sitting at the lunch table, and next to the their plate all of them parked their cell phones and periodically checked them for messages.

The most futuristic optical company ever on this globe, is fully banking on the internet by already owning the largest amount of online opticals.

Times are changing..............I remember the British, in times when all of them were wearing 1 of the 6 models of the standard *National Health* eyeglass frames.

[Robert_S]

Yes I agree that times are changing. But no one is predicting the end of retail, rather that retailers must adapt. Which is obvious.

[lensmanmd]

Yes I agree that times are changing. But no one is predicting the end of retail, rather that retailers must adapt. Which is obvious.

+1

Think back to the WalMart era. Retailers in the shopping centers that WalMart went into struggled. The ones that failed tried to price match. The ones that survived changed up their stock, stopped selling what WalMart sold and brought in products with higher quality with solid price/benefit ratios. Then, they backed it it up with service and support. They survived. They thrived.

Think about VisionWorks. They purposely sought out locations close enough to LensCrafters, accepted insurance that LC did not, created pricing structures to compete with LC and survived. Another business that I remember from my years in San Diego, albeit several decades ago, was Dr Leventhal. He also opened locations just a few doors down from LC and he thrived. Did he provide 1 hr service, no. He accepted insurance that LC did not. He offered frames and lenses that LC did not. He provided value that LC did not. And he thrived. Both VW and Leventhal underpaid their staff, and recruited heavily from LC, but they did pay more than LC. What does this say about LC pay practices?

Lesson here, know your business. Staff your business with knowledgeable and caring professionals. Separate yourself from the competition, be it Costco, Walmart, America's Best, LC, or even WP. Bargain shoppers will shop for bargains. Some will shop for value. Some will shop for exclusive items. Some will shop for luxury items. Others will shop for quality and service. Quality of service will eventually win out.

If you can't compete against bargains, don't. If you can't afford to provide luxury items, don't. What you can provide is quality of service. This is how you compete and stay in business. Adapt. Stay ahead of the curve. Provide services that on-line retailers and discount retailers do not. Invest in knowledge. Invest for the future. Your doors will always remain open if you can adapt and stay ahead of the curve.

My 2 pennies

[Chris Ryser]

+1

If you can't compete against bargains, don't. If you can't afford to provide luxury items, don't. What you can provide is quality of service. This is how you compete and stay in business. Adapt. Stay ahead of the curve. Provide services that on-line retailers and discount retailers do not. Invest in knowledge. Invest for the future. Your doors will always remain open if you can adapt and stay ahead of the curve.

My 2 pennies

.........................a just perfect post


Just how wondering how many positive posts will be made about it, and how many can look ahead.