Fashion at a Value
With value frames more fashion-forward than ever, now's the time to add them to your boards
By Marcy Bruch

There was a time when mentioning value eyewear brought images of no-nonsense metals and dated plastic frames to mind. Forget about finding trendy double laminates, sophisticated rimless styles, or high-tech titanium frames. Value eyewear often meant boring frames, but times have changed.

Thanks to manufacturers continually pushing the production envelope, there's a surprising amount of trendy styles that retail for well under $100.

Since about 70 percent of Americans are on some kind of vision plan with a credit allotment for frames of around $100, and many are on tight budgets, people are looking for affordable eyewear to make a fun fashion statement. In fact, if you cater to baby boomers or the Gen X crowd, they wouldn't have it any other way.

Affordable style. Kenmark's black and yellow Jamie frame represents the value-priced Gallery line

FASHION FIRST

"If you want to compete effectively in the managed care arena, your number one priority when buying frames should be to continually add updated styles, especially if you have a significant amount of customers who are 45 years old and younger," says Bruce Herman, general manager of Wise Eyes, headquartered in Melville, N.Y.

"Since all or a good portion of the frames are being paid for by their insurance plan, these consumers want to get as much fashion bang for the buck as possible," he adds. "Even though metals still outsell plastics, we're seeing more interest in plastics, especially among women and younger men."

	Affluent attitudes. The Brooks Brothers collection from Luxottica offers classic styling in eyewear for men (style BB607) and women (style BB270) at sensible prices

Guys over 40 want rimless frames, observes Tony Port, manager of the 4,000-square-foot superstore Vision Park, in Raleigh, N.C. "We get men who come in here wanting three-piece rimless mounts because they've noticed that's what Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is wearing. Women are asking for rectangular plastics just like reporter Ashleigh Banfield wears on MSNBC and Tina Fey wears on Saturday Night Live. It's amazing how TV can influence eyewear trends, even among our middle-aged clientele," he notes.

Vision Park has a board of frames priced between $50 to $90 that are separated into two groups--plastics and metals--and the rest of the dispensary's frames are displayed by designer.

"There's plenty of recognizable brand-name frames to be had that retail for around $100," Port says. "And for people who just want high-quality, durable frames that are lightweight, we offer a manufacturer's house-brand titanium frame that retails for $89. Since 50 percent of our business comes from third-party billing and we belong to at least a dozen plans, our goal is to make sure we have something for everybody."

Knowing some people are unimpressed by a designer logo, Stacy Brown, optical manager of Vision Clinic in Springfield, Mo., recommends dispensers stay on top of their best-selling designer styles and buy similar looking frames under manufacturer house brands. "If you know what's selling best at the high-end of the spectrum, you can parlay that information and use it to sell your house-brand assortment. I even show customers the designer frame along with the lower-priced style to drive the added-value point home," she says.

ENDURING FAVORITES

Still, you can't forsake tried-and-true traditional frames completely in the name of fashion. "When you're dealing with managed care, you'll always have a certain percentage of customers--especially if they're over 55--who will want the same frame they've had for the past 10 years," Brown says.

In fact, Larue Lord, who owns five Lord Eye Centers in Statesboro and Savannah, Ga., says 60 percent of her sales come from managed care and claims she would be out of business if she showcased nothing but trendy frames. "We sell a lot of middle-of-the-road oval metals in burnished colors like brown or burgundy," she says. "The older a patient is, the more quality and comfort matters. Trendy style becomes less important. So always include some classic looks in your frame assortment too."

Spending savvy. Viva International Group's Make Them Your Own grouping from Savvy Eyewear is sleek, yet suited for many lifestyles

PRE-SELECTED ASSORTMENT

To take the guess work out of maintaining a balanced value eyewear frame assortment, Coordinated Vision Care--a subsidiary of United Health Care Group based in Cincinnati, Ohio--consigns a pre-selected group of 200 frames to dispensers on the Coordinated Vision Care plan.

"The assortment includes a variety of brand names from major eyewear manufacturers divided into two price groups: The Quality group, which has a fixed price of $60, and the Elite group, with a set price of $85," says Jim Malle, vice president of network distribution. "Within the Elite group, we even have some titanium, stainless steel, and semi-rimless frames."

The company helps maintain the consigned assortment by replacing slow-moving frames with updated styles yearly. The frames are tracked as they are sold, giving Coordinated Vision Care a clear picture of which colors and styles are selling and which are staying on the shelves.

"This helps us help the dispenser balance their value eyewear section accordingly. The program is a win-win situation for the optician because they're basically carrying inventory free of charge. What's more, the assortment has been hand-picked based on proven bestsellers within the managed care market," he says.

	Cost-conscious opportunity. The Op line from ClearVision blends comfort, style, and affordability

HIGH-TECH ADVANTAGES

Thanks to modern technology, researching a benefits package is only a computer key click away. "Now most insurance companies have a Website, so you can log on to find out exactly what a patient is eligible for," says Herman. "You can also process a claim online, which cuts down on extra paperwork."

"There have been noticeable improvements in plans over the years," says Brown of Vision Clinic. "The plans are a lot more clear-cut today than they were about five years ago. Since it's not as complicated, it's easier to join more plans. And if you're going to be competitive in this area, you'd better belong to as many plans as possible."

UPGRADING SELECTIONS

Besides increasing your number of plans, another potential profit booster is to get customers to upgrade and pay the difference on their frame deductible. Educate your customers on the differences in frame quality, and then let them decide.

"It's not a hard sell. About 50 percent of our customers on vision plans will upgrade to a better frame For an extra $20 to $50, it's usually easy for them to justify spending the extra money," Port says.

"We just want our customers to be happy whether they stay within the insurance plan or opt to pay extra. That's how we keep this segment of our business thriving."

Sensible sophistication. Charmant's Steel Eyez collection of stainless steel eyewear is designed for strength and comfort without sacrificing style or pumping up price points	Fun and fund-friendly. Rugged, outdoorsy styles and practical prices from a recognizable brand are highlights of the Woolrich collection from Hart Specialties, Inc.