I just finished looking at the Optical Marketplace and I could hardly believe some of the frames for sale. One person had $200,000.00 in inventory for sale , the average price of the frames came out to around $ 111.00 each. The next one came to about $ 87.00 average. Edgers of all kinds for sale and a few whole labs for sale. Displays at way too much money, and some were used and priced way too high. Down through the years I have seen several beautiful independent retail stores open and between high rent and high dollar displays and way too expensive frames, of which there were too many, with a wholesale price out the roof. About all of these were closed in one to two years. Looked great, but no business. If they had opened with low rent, no edger for $30 k more or less and God forbid a $100 k display and $80 k inventory they might have had a shot at making it.
Spent all their money and had very left for advertising, so very few people even knew where the were. Of the ones that did show up, got a price and left without buying.This has been my observation for many years. I admire anyone who had the courage to go independent and always wished the best for them. It would much more difficult today because of insurance, shortage of eye doctors and big chain stores, who lap up the doctors. Just saying!