Get reader ready
How to capture the baby boomer market by jumping on the reader bandwagon
By Marcy Bruch

If you don't think it's worth your while to sell readers, perhaps it's time to think again. According to the Sunglass Association of America, total retail sales for readers went from $353.4 million in 1999 to $380 million in 2000-an 8 percent increase.

Reader manufacturers, some of whom have just opened during the past five years, report their profits have increased anywhere from 20 to 50 percent compared to a year ago. If that kind of growth continues, reader sales could hit the $500 million mark by the end of this year.

Though drug stores brought in the biggest piece of the pie in 2000 with sales of $163 million and mass merchants raked in $83.4 million, optical stores came in third, bringing in a total $49.7 million. Noteworthy: Optical's average retail price for readers was higher-$23 versus the drug store and mass merchant's price of $14.

Readers Only

Since more baby boomers will need readers with each succeeding year, all bets are on this business' continuing growth. In fact, Alyce Skinner, owner of Adair Optical in Fort Worth, Texas, says she feels so strongly about the potential growth for readers that she moved her optical dispensary into a bigger, 2,200-square-foot location down the road and transformed her old, 950-square-foot retail space into a reader specialty store.

"The store opened a week after Labor Day, and there has been steady traffic ever since because my existing customers come in looking for my dispensary that I moved two miles down the road," says Skinner. She named the reader store Adairreaders.com to match a Website she is creating under the same name. "The goal is for my customers to remember the name so that, if they don't feel like buying at the store during the day, they can always shop at the virtual store online at night," she says. And since the Website is accessible worldwide, Skinner's customer base has the potential to greatly expand as well.

With reader retail prices ranging from $11 to $160, Skinner says every major city should have a reader specialty store to cater to the eyewear needs of aging baby boomers.

Jack Burns, owner of Cheaters in Corte Madera, Calif., opened his reader specialty store in an upscale Marin County mall last year. "Even though mall business is down 11 to 14 percent due to the current economy, our business is up by about five percent," he says. "Admittedly, we're not growing at the rate we were last year, but 33 percent of our business comes from repeat customers who have started building reader wardrobes."

	A selection of readers from Up Close Reading Glasses.

Encouraging Multiple Sales

Since his customers recognize the value of high optical quality for the price of his readers, Burns says that his average sale is two readers per customer. "Our retails range from $60 to $465. It doesn't take long for people to realize they can get two pairs of readers for the price of one prescription frame," Burns points out. "A lot of women will buy one pair for every day and one pair for going out at night."

But it's not just the women. In fact, Burns says he has two customers-both men-who have bought about 30 pairs of readers each since he first opened Cheaters. "Apparently, they want to have a pair in every room of their homes and at work. So both these guys come in here every week to check out what's new. They know each other, so I think they're in competition over who has more readers."

Offer high quality

Even if you don't want to open a store dedicated to readers exclusively, readers provide a great profit opportunity. Novelty pen and folding readers provide instant gratification and make great impulse buys, says Lloyd Chautin, owner of The Eye Man in New York City. "I try to offer readers that go beyond the mundane and will hold up over time," he says. "As optical dispensers, it's not worth it for us to carry the inexpensive readers because if they break, the customer will expect us to fix them. So, economically, that extra service is not worth our while. Also, people expect a higher level of quality from our retail channel, so my average retail price points are from $65 to $135."

Easy add-on business

Readers are a great secondary or tertiary business to add to core business, says Stephen Apat, managing optician for Grove Opticians in Boca Raton, Fla. "Even though readers are only about 3 percent of our sales, many of our customers are more than willing to spend about $44 for a back-up pair of reading glasses in case they misplace their prescription eyewear," he says. "Women like the hand-painted readers with a bit of whimsy because they're fun to wear. Men like the pen readers or slim-fitting folding styles that fit into their jacket pockets."

It's important to keep readers easily accessible so customers can try them on while they're waiting and wandering around, Apat adds. "They don't require the level of service that prescription frames do, which makes them an easy sale.

"Paula Abrams, practice administrator for Bridger Eye Center in Bozeman, Mont., couldn't agree more. "Readers don't require a board-certified optician, so we keep them in our waiting room. Our patients can touch, feel, and try them on, and before you know it, we've got a sale without expending a lot of time and service. Readers make a great supplement to your regular business."

Carrying readers is also a way to get people to have eye exams, says Marcus Becker, managing optician at Marshall Field's Optical in Minneapolis. "Before we can recommend the correct lens power, we have to examine their eyes to find out what power they'll need," he points out.

	Ron's Optical Case Company readers.

Becker says Marshall Field's Optical has a top-of-counter stand that displays readers ranging from $13 to $45, and customers are encouraged to buy them as a back-up pair or for an emergency situation. "We have a supplier that provides us with frames in bulk, and then we make the readers ourselves. It's a low-cost way of adding profit since the readers are our private label product."

Anything with a novelty twist in readers will sell best, Chautin of The Eye Man claims. "Pen readers and folding readers make great gifts for men and women and further differentiates readers from our core business-prescription eyewear," he says.

"Between the bright colors, and the cute gimmicks, people have fun with them and the readers practically sell themselves," Chautin continues. "It's almost like adding an extra salesperson on the floor."