Readers
A guide to building readers into your business
By Marcy Bruch

ICU Eyewear's polka dot readers, style 1384D

Readers have become a must-have accessory among baby boomers as they march through middle age. Yet even though this generation is grabbing up the plethora of reader styles now available--ranging from the unobtrusive to outrageous--many eyecare professionals remain ambivalent about selling them. They argue that ready-made readers are a poor substitute for quality prescription eyewear. And when they compare an optical-quality pair of readers that retail for about $50 to the average price of a frame and lens package, around $150, it becomes clear how readers could threaten the bread-and-butter part of their business.

Then again, if consumers are demanding them, isn't it better for your dispensary to get the reader sale rather than watching customers heading to the drugstore down the road?

FACING THE FACTS

	Scojo Vision's style Eclipse sunwear readers

That's why, at the end of the day, many dispensaries carry a limited selection of readers--even if they don't believe it's the best vision solution for presbyopes. There's also the statistics to consider. According to Henry Lane, chairman of market research for the Sunglass Association of America (SAA), reader sales from 2002 to 2003 are estimated to be up one percent, while reader units are projected to be up 3.5 percent from 2002 to 2003.

"That means people are buying more readers for less money, and it supports the multiple-pair buying theory," Lane says. He goes on to say that the average price for a pair of readers across all retail channels is $13.64. Drug stores continue to grab the greatest share in reader sales, with mass merchants coming in second, and grocery stores ranking third. Even though the three Os come in at number four in terms of reader sales volume, they usually command a higher retail for readers, with an average price of $22, according to Lane.

"I'm finding that more dispensers are offering two-tier pricing for their readers. To stay competitive with the drug stores and mass merchants, dispensers will offer a selection of readers from $20 to $50 placed on top of a counter. Then they will also showcase a group of high-end readers in a caseline priced from $60 and up to further differentiate themselves," he says.

Pocket Peepers are credit-card sized readers

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM...

Jacqueline Hashimoto, co-owner of Jacqueline Stanley Opticians of Englewood, N.J., says she would rather not carry readers, but feels she has no choice but to keep some in stock.

"I hate readers. Most of them don't have the correct PDs, which is why people get headaches if they wear them for any length of time, and many people who are presbyopic also have astigmatism, and readers don't even address that problem. Your brain wants to see clearly and readers don't do it right," she says.

So why does she carry readers at all? "I keep them in the back room in case people request them, and I display the ones in tiny cases in the window during the holidays because I do a good gift business with them in December," she says.

When Hashimoto does sell readers, she gives the buyer specific instructions on when and how to wear them. "I tell them they should only be used in a pinch to see a price tag, or to read a menu, a theatre or show program. I explain readers shouldn't be used to read a book or while spending hours looking at a computer. That's when they are supposed to wear prescription eyewear only."

	California Optical readers style Kaleidoscope

FUN FASHION

While Hashimoto stresses the medical aspect of readers, co-owners and sisters Marcia and Barbara Levi sell readers at their whimsical gift shop, Chocolate Moose in Washington, D.C., and merchandise them more as fashion accessories. "Most of our customers will buy two and three of them at a time because they are always losing them," says Marcia Levi. "At $14 to $20 a pair, they are basically a disposable fashion item," she adds.

Since the sisters cater largely to a female clientele, Marcia says they only carry plastic readers, in fun, funky colors. "Our customers want their readers to make a fashion statement, and metal readers don't do that as well."

In terms of merchandising readers, Marcia says she's learned the hard way not to display readers on a rotary tower. "The magnification powers get all mixed up. So now I have five separate baskets, with the +1.50 lens power readers in one basket, the +2.00 power readers in another basket, and so on. That makes it easier for customers to find what they want."

Corinne McCormack's readers style Hollywood

INTERNET SALES

Even though only five to 10 percent of Theo E. Obrig Inc.'s dispensary sales come through readers, Cassia Cogger, office manager for the New York City location, says that she is doing a dynamite reader business on the Internet. Cogger launched a reader Website, www.readinstyle.com, in the spring and says it's already profitable.

"I have a background in ecommerce, so I wanted to combine those skills with my expertise in eyewear," she explains. Sales average between 40 to 50 pairs of readers per month, with the median price of $50.

"I launched the site in March with the idea that sales would gain momentum toward the holiday season, and that's exactly what's happening. We've already got a solid foundation of business because of all our repeat customers."

To make her site user-friendly, she even has a question and answer section so visitors can determine what lens power they need in readers.

Like the Levis, she observes that women want readers that are colorful in both plastics and metals, while men prefer readers in more neutral tones in either metals or three-piece mounts.

Her fastest-growing category is reader sunglasses with bifocal lenses. "We're doing phenomenally well with a round tortoise sunglass reader that is equally popular among men and women," Cogger says.

READER HEADQUARTERS

Even without trying to grab a national market, Tony Choi, owner of Lucky Vision in Garden Grove, Calif., says there's profit to be made selling readers. "I have an area dedicated specifically for readers in my dispensary, with retail prices ranging from $15 to $45. Creating a readers section has helped grow the category into 10 percent of my business," he says.

What's more, Choi says many of his reader customers aren't willing to shell out $150 to remedy their presbyopia at this point, so he observes that not offering readers would lose him sales to someone else.

Whether you keep a stash of readers in the back of your stock room or feature an extensive reader selection, make sure your customers understand what readers can--and can't--do. That way, readers will only add to your core eyewear sales.

EBX Optik's new Cigar Junior reader features technical bells and whistles, with case and chain attaching to a key chain	Rem Eyewear's new VisuaLites readers