Last Word
A Wealth Of Experience
By Erinn Morgan

Lynn Millay has been working with LensCrafters since two weeks before the first store opened the in Florence, Ky., in 1983. "My husband was hired to run the lab way before it opened," she says. "He kept telling [LensCrafters founder] Dean Butler that he needed someone who knows lenses to manage the operation in the lab. I went for the interview with Dean and was hired."

Today, she is the senior director of lens buying, the result of hard work and dedication. "Because LensCrafters was one store back in the beginning, I pretty much did anything they needed me to do," she says. "I went out on sales floor to help out if they were really busy. They had hired me to help with lenses because I had been buying lenses from a wholesale perspective previously. But it wasn't just about buying then--I had to handle filing, placing orders, and getting things organized."

Millay's prior work experience helped her in her endeavors at the fledgling LensCrafters. She got her start with American Optical, a wholesaler that then had 400 branches across the U.S.

"Lens inventory manager was my first title," she says. "But I did many different things along the way--I was in charge of the distribution center and the mail room at different times. Prior to lens buying, I was also in charge of physical inventory."

It was the variety of her experience and the evolution of LensCrafters from a single site to a 868-store U.S. and Canadian chain that kept Millay driven throughout her career. "One of wonderful things about starting with a
company growing from the ground-up is that I got to experience different things than if I had started with a big company," she says. "I had an excellent education from LensCrafters' various disciplines. This company has been continually growing, and my experience here has never been boring."

The most satisfying aspect of her work is her relationship with the suppliers, she says, noting "I like building strong relationships that last for a long time."

The challenge of differentiating LensCrafters from other big retailers is another highpoint. "I like Duralens," she notes. "Things like this keep me going and make every day exciting. It's not a quick path to the development of new products. The fun is in the trying."

The most challenging part of her position is making certain that the stores have the right mix and breadth of inventory. "We are unique in that most big chains don't have as many labs within the stores," she explains. "They are not as focused on giving one-hour service. That is primary here. I have to be focused on getting the right inventory."

An additional challenge to be met is the fast pace of change in the optical market. Being a buyer today is different from being a buyer 10 or 15 years ago. "One of the big differences is the consolidation of manufacturers," she says. "A lot of manufacturing is offshore today and that wasn't true when I began--the lead times are longer."

But what it really boils down to for any retailer is ultimately pleasing consumers' shifting tastes and expectations. "Consumers are more educated than in the past. They have a growing concern over their health, and we have to be in tune with that and be ready to help our customers. It is increasingly important to find new things, keep it different, and answer consumers' problems."