It is just within the last few years that the children's eyewear market has evolved from a specialized niche business to a potentially lucrative segment. Validation of this evolution is found in the flurry of frame introductions specifically designed to capture the attention of children-and the dollars of their parents.

Children make up 21.5 percent of the population, according to 1998 census data. This group can then be broken down into three segments, each distinct in their eyecare and eyewear needs: 0-10 year olds (kids), 11-14 year olds (tweens), and those 15 years old and up (teenagers). It is the "tweens" that make up the largest percentage of the mix. And, not surprisingly, it is also this group that tends to purchase frames at the higher-end of the pricing spectrum. Frames that retail for $140 or higher typify the higher-end.

Occasionally, even the smaller sized adult frames are preferred product for the high-end children's market. The mid-price group retails between $100 and $125. The lower-end or "budget" category bundles frame and polycarbonate lenses for around $120.

Get Your Share

Be straightforward, experts advise. "Seventy percent of my kid's eyewear sales are at about $160 frame retail or higher," says David Barlia, dispensing optician at The Eye Care Center in Bellevue, Wash. "Although some parents initially find it hard to justify spending $150 or more on just the frame, when you explain about the materials, demonstrate the advantages, and use examples to personalize the presentation, it makes the buying decision that much easier."

High performance lenses are also contributing to raising the price tag-and the value-of children's eyewear. For example, now that photochromics are available in polycarbonate, those lenses have become a popular choice in children's frames.

Remember that in addition to being a retailer, you are also a marketer. You need to understand that:

• Most kids today who wear glasses already understand that they need them. Their glasses help them perform better academically and in sports, and that helps them socially.
• Kids are influenced by everything around them. Friends, family, television, music, and movies play powerful roles in defining a child's personal style. Putting them in a frame that does not fit with that personal style decreases the chances that frame will be worn.

Follow Their Lead

Take a look at how your pint-sized patients are dressed. Most likely they wear all brand names, such as Nike or Adidas sneakers, a Nautica jacket over a Hilfiger rugby shirt, and jeans from the Gap. Each is an indicator that this customer knows what is hot and what is not.

Carolyn C. Fierson, Ph.D., A.B.O.C. from the office of Walter M. Fierson, M.D., Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus in Arcadia, Calif., says it is unusual that a child will come in asking for a particular brand, "but if they don't look good in whatever brand they get, they won't wear them. The frames must match their personality."

Although parents associate a higher price with a recognizable name, if they have had good experiences with the brand, the price issue becomes 
secondary.

"Parents understand the benefits of materials like titanium and bendable metals, as well as flex hinges and silicone nosepads," notes Susan Boyd, CPOA, optical manager with Richard F. Meier, O.D., FCOUD in Reno, Nev. "When they see these characteristics in a familiar name, they just know they won't get that kind of quality in lower-priced frames."

For younger children particularly, those 3 to 6 or 7 years old, price, brand and features are rarely an issue. "But this group is really influenced by youth-oriented merchandising and P-O-P imagery. It's great for them to see other kids wearing glasses, looking good, and having fun," Boyd continues.

In addition to offering frame selections that match the personality and lifestyle of the child, optical retailers should understand that "in all cases, you are selling to the parent. The glasses may be for a 12 or 13 year old, but the child's eyewear sale begins and ends with the parents," Barlia notes.

Fierson adds that when selling a children's frame, "stress safety, value, appearance, comfort, and proper fit. A child's frame must fit very well from the beginning." When offering frames to parents, think about your own buying habits. When you are making a purchase-from a car to a house to a wedding dress or even luggage-you consider every possibility.

Generally, the search for just the right buy goes like this: you look at what 
you really want followed by what seems reasonable. Next you look at what would be easiest and maybe even cheapest.

But what do you end up buying? What you really wanted and really liked in the very beginning. Why? Because once you have seen the best of a particular offering, there is no going back.

Boyd concurs. "It should be standard procedure to start with the best and never pre-judge a patient's priorities," she says. "I always explain the features and benefits of a frame first. We are the experts. We need to share our knowledge so parents can make the best, most informed decision for their child." 

Price may be important, but the paramount concern for any parent is the health, safety, and well being of their children. Although parents may view their child's eyewear as a medical necessity that will inevitably be lost, broken or outgrown, they know that the best thing they can do for their children is put them in the safest, most durable, most comfortable frame they can.

Barlia says his philosophy is to, "Tell it like it is and not hide anything. Parents need to understand that in the long run, purchasing a quality frame of the finest materials is the best investment that can be made for their child." EB