Kids' Korner
Fit kids with frames...and keep them entertained
by Marcy Bruch

Kids will be kids. And that fact alone can make fitting them with frames a challenge. Selling frames to pre-schoolers poses its own unique issues. Yet opticians say it can be rewarding and even fun to target tots. Here's how a few them are focusing on this market.

Mickey Mouse, Fred Flinstone, Bugs Bunny, and Barbie. If you think they're just for kids, think again. Because these characters are near and dear to the collective memories of parents, too.

"You'd be surprised at how strong the nostalgic pull is," says Melinda Rosenthal, a franchise owner of Pearle Vision in Chattanooga, Tenn.

"When we told one woman that we would be getting Barbie frames in, she got more excited about it than her daughter," Rosenthal says.

"It's the recognition of the brand that initially fires up kids and parents to look at a collection. But the best-selling frames feature character logos that are displayed discreetly on the frames--if at all. Because parents generally don't want their kids to be a walking billboard of a cartoon," she adds.

Still, the group of kids that is most drawn to character eyewear is preschoolers. Lila Christ, ABOC, managing optician for Spectacles Unlimited in Tamaqua, Penn., says that their Looney Tunes frames are popular among kids ranging from two to six years old.

"The logos are discreetly placed at the hinge of the temple," says Christ. "All kids like Bugs Bunny, Tweetie Bird sells well with girls, and little boys like the Tasmanian Devil," she says. "We're in a small town, so the retail range of the collection--from $85 to $100--is on target."

Dianna Finisecy, owner of Wagner Opticians in Washington, D.C., says she does well with the Disney Eyewear line, but is quick to point out that it's the collection's rich colorations and durability features that make it sell. "It's not because it screams Mickey Mouse," she says. "The kids like the colors, and the parents like the styling."

KIDS WANT COLOR

In fact, everyone agrees that the character logos are often not as important to kids as the frame colors. "I try to make it fun for the kids to pick out all the frames that are in their favorite colors," says Anne Marie Coschiano, an optician for Eyeworks Optical, Inc., in Saint Claire Shores, Mich.

"They immediately go for the blues, the pinks, the reds, and the greens." But since parents usually want a child to get a neutral-colored frame, Rosenthal of Pearle Vision came up with a solution to make both parties happy. "We have a buy-one-get-one free kids' frame promotion. It serves a dual purpose. Since kids lose frames or they get broken, they'll always have a back-up pair. It also allows the parents to choose a frame and the children to pick their favorite styles."

For the most part, metal frames sell better than plastics in the pre-school age group. "Since metal frames have nosepads, they fit better on tots because their nose bridges aren't fully developed," points out Finisecy of Wagner Opticians. "However, we are getting more little boys who want the rectangular plastics because that's what's popular with teenage boys," she adds.

Frames such as Rem's Barbie line invoke nostalgia in parents and excitement in kids.

METAL VERSUS PLASTICS

Yet among infants and toddlers, a metal frame can actually be dangerous. "We recommend plastic frames with a cable temple to hold the frames on the head for those under two years old because a baby could actually pull off a nosepad and swallow it," says Carole Miller, consultant at Eye Care Center in Fridley, Minn. "The Lux de Paris line is good for this age group because the frame sizes are in the 30s and low 40s."

FRAME DURABILITY

Since pre-schoolers are tough on frames, durability is key; and bendable and durable materials sell well. "The manufacturers offer warranties on these frames, so if a nosepad breaks they'll replace it free of charge," says Finisecy of Wagner Opticians. "But if the same frame comes back to us three times, we charge a handling fee because it starts to get costly for us," she adds.

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU

In order to get frames to fit properly on pre-schoolers, there's the challenge of getting them to sit still.

"It's especially important to keep tots entertained since they have such a short attention span. If a child isn't interested in picking out a frame, we recommend that they come back another day. If the kids don't like a style, they simply won't wear them," says Coschiano of Optical Eyewear.

Jean Poppinga, manager of Purdy Opticians in New York City, says they rely on a colored ball with a bell that they shake to get tots to focus while they do PD measurements. "We also have a large selection of children's books to occupy small children so that they sit still while we put frames on them." Since Purdy's location in Manhattan's upper east side specializes in children's eyewear, there's even a play area that's filled with toddler-friendly toys.

"Initially, tots will cry because they're afraid of wearing eyewear, but then they'll have such a good time in the play area that they'll cry when they have to leave," says Poppinga. "After we're done fitting them, we give them a pencil case for school that says, 'I'm a Purdy kid.'"

Manufacturer offerings of free watches or yo-yos with a frame purchase go over big with kids. "They always want to know if they're going to get a free toy with their frame," she says.

	Little boys can adopt a chic look, just like their fathers, with rectangular frames in Sesame Street's Stripes line from Zyloware.

TREAT THE CHILD LIKE A CUSTOMER

It's crucial to always address the children themselves, Miller of Eye Care Center observes. "We have a little display for children to sit down in front of a mirror so they feel important, and they get a sense of the responsibility for their decision. Let them know their opinion matters," Miller advises.

And finally, since there's an element of fear that comes with getting a pair of glasses for the first time, dispensers stress that it's important to present eyewear as a way to make a fun fashion statement.

"Kids will often ask for frames that look just like something they've seen on a celebrity or a friend," says Cochiano. "That's the perfect opportunity to reinforce the notion that picking out eyewear is no different than picking out clothes."

"We have a bulletin board that showcases pictures of all our kids in their new eyewear. On top of the board it reads: 'I'm a Purdy Kid.' That bulletin board helps make them feel proud, not embarrassed, that they're wearing eyeglasses," adds Poppinga.