FEATURE
The Royal Treatment
Becoming a luxury eyewear purveyor requires putting key elements together such as lighting, displays, service, and of course, high-end products. We spoke with luxury retailers around the U.S. to get the tips you'll need to make the jump into luxury
By Lindsey Aspinall

The luxury market is on fire. And seeing how well it's been doing, maybe you've considered becoming a part of it. But before you go out and change your inventory, you should know it's not as simple as throwing some high-end brand names into your frame mix.

Location, location, location is the first consideration when breaking into the luxury market. "To know if you're right for the luxury business, you have to look at your location and decide what type of market the location caters to," says Lyndi Fandino Schmidt, OD, owner of Acuity Vision Boutique in San Francisco. "You don't want to secure a location for your practice selling low-end frames if it's a high-end neighborhood, and vice versa."

ID Chicago sells both home furnishings and eyewear in the dispensary

Setting the scene for luxury is especially effective if other high-end retailers are located near your practice. "It's the whole package," explains Fenton Allen, general manager of Optical Illusions, a dispensary with two stores in Northern California, the original in San Mateo. The second was opened in the heart of Silicon Valley on Santana Row, San Jose's own version of Rodeo Drive.

"Surrounding us are high-end retailers like Gucci and Burberry, and there are about 20 outdoor restaurants," Allen says. "Being located in this very specialized outdoor area is key for our business."

SETTING THE MOOD

The next step is to consider an interior design that sets a high-end mood while complementing your personal style with a specific audience in mind. "I had the opportunity to start from scratch," says Schmidt. "Remodeling or starting cold is hard, but then you can establish the exact style you desire."

Constructing the ideal ambience is extremely important, as luxury is not only about product, but also the shopping experience itself. Consider store colors, furniture, and decorating that will create your overall style. "I chose colors and furniture which
created a luxury feel," says Schmidt. "A lot of my patients comment that it feels as if they are in a spa, not a doctor's office."

Find interesting ways to display your merchandise, like this set-up at ID Chicago

For a truly luxurious setting, differentiation from the average retailer is critical. "Our overall store image sets us apart from other retailers," says Allen. "The interior of the store features beautiful fine art reproduction murals on the Venetian ceilings and has a museum look and feel."

The sense of uniqueness gives your customers the feeling they can't find this type of experience or product anywhere else. ID Chicago, a gallery-style dispensary in Chicago, sells modern home furnishings and eyewear. Owner Anthony Almaguer, decided to blend his 13 years of experience in the optical industry with his business partner's home furnishings background.

The result is a shopping experience that keeps customers interested. "These are personal things, items you place in your home and on your face," Almaguer explains.

Interesting displays can help increase customer traffic and secure new patients, says Tammy Hazelett, an optician at Optix Eyecare and Gallery in Dallas. The display cases at Optix include statues, pottery, and other pieces of artwork not only alongside frames, but also holding them. Frames are placed around vases or atop antique books. "Our store displays are very elaborate and we've had a lot of people come in just to see them," Hazelett says. "It's also helped with positive referrals."

"Our frames float on cables on the wall," says Anthony Almaguer of ID Chicago

CHOOSING YOUR PRODUCT

While a pretty setting is pleasing, product at a high-end dispensary has to have an exclusive feel to be truly upscale, says Clifton Balter, owner of InnerVision Fine Eyewear located in Philadelphia. "To make the jump into luxury, you have to get a niche," he says. "Find products that suit you."

The frames you select should also complement your interior style. "Start going to tradeshows and deciding what lines fit with the setting you've created," says Schmidt.

Expand collections after establishing a reputation. "Add new frames once you've hit a homerun with the products you know," Balter says.

It's important to select merchandise you truly believe in, not just popular brands. High-end consumers can differentiate a hodgepodge of brand names thrown together from a selection of handpicked frames you've chosen for a reason.

Allen notes: "I go to Japan and Italy, myself, and produce our own custom collections including solid gold eyewear frames with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires."

To P.O.P.?

A major question ECPs face when choosing to set up a high-end dispensary is how to tastefully use the point-of-purchase materials they receive, or whether to use them at all. When customers come into a higher-end location, they are expecting a different look and feel than the average, run-of-the-mill one. So whether or not you decide to use P.O.P., you should take extra care to make your displays unique.

It's very important to keep things separated, says Clifton Balter, the owner of InnerVision Eyewear in Philadelphia. High-end consumers can to be very brand-conscious and in search of a specific make or model. "I separate everything by their brand name so that customers can see things clearly delineated as they look around," he explains. "Separating brands and keeping each brand's merchandise together using glass shelves or casing gives you a sense of what the brand is all about." Balter recommends tastefully sprinkling some P.O.P. literature around each section, being sure not to overdo it, and selecting only those materials that suit your store style.

Some high-end ECPs opt to be very selective or not use P.O.P. "We use point-of-purchase materials to an extent," says Tammy Hazelett, an optician at Optix Eyecare and Gallery in Dallas. "However, with the store being so elegant, it has to be very good P.O.P. material to make it into our displays."

Anthony Almaguer, owner of ID Chicago, doesn't use any P.O.P. material. "We take away anything in the line of advertising—P.O.P. can make the frame get lost," he says. "Our frames float on cables on the walls and you can see each frame very easily. It's very clean and shows off the frame and its colors."

The choice is yours, but be sure to choose displays that complement your overall style. Don't just randomly place P.O.P. material anywhere, but instead, carefully choose the ideal locations. The idea is to show your customers you care about this special merchandise. When they see that you go the extra mile for decorating details, they'll feel comfortable you'll do the same with their eyecare.

Optix Eyecare and Gallery in Dallas uses only elegant furniture in their dispensary	Make sure the outside is also visually appealing�Acuity Vision uses unusual plants

Service with a Smile

Setting your business apart from the rest and making it feel like a special experience, requires extra special service. Good customer service helps keep customers loyal while helping expand the business through positive referrals. "It's essential to give the best possible customer service," says Fenton Allen, general manager of Optical Illusions, with two locations in Northern California. "Our clientele expects perfection, and Optical Illusions always strives to deliver it!"

Here are some tips provided by BusinessKnowHow.com on how you, too, can provide optimal customer service, making all customers feel truly valued.

►Always tell your customer what you CAN do for them. Never begin a
   conversation saying what you can't do.

►Allow an irate customer to vent and do not interrupt them.

►Use your customer's name.

►Always conclude conversations with a "thank you."

►Listen! There is nothing worse than asking an irate customer to repeat
   something they just said.

►Go the extra step and follow up with your customer to make sure things
   have been resolved and they are pleased with the outcome.