That is due to retailers requesting the right to return samples for any reason, warranties, exchanges and so forth. The importer/distributors have to cover their cost, and raised their pricing to a higher level.
In the old days, 20 to 30 years ago, of straight outright selling, (free returns only for factory defects) , importers charged a gross markup in the area of 42%, of the landed cost.
On top of all that, the conventional retailer , the optician, ads his own markup to get to his own selling price to make his living.
Optical Frames at factory pricing and availability can now be easily checked at one of the webs most popular websites:
https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search...es+frames+2018
Your so called expansion of the market, is the now regular adult generation that is getting older,
and is used to the internet …………..while your regular B&M market share is dying off at a faster rate each year, and will be harder to replace.
Your expansion will become the replacement, however they will stick to the internet.
Bookmarks