The Sports Specifics
Suiting up your athletic patients by adding sports sunwear to your mix
By Erinn Morgan

Despite repeated reports of Americans dangerously tipping the scales, some studies also show a growth of participation in fitness activities. The amount of Americans partaking in most activities—from snowboarding and running to swimming and team sports—increased over the course of 2004, according to the National Sporting Goods Association's annual Sports Participation report.

Certain sports even saw quite a bit of growth. Swimming, which is the third-most popular activity overall, grew two percent to include 53.4 million participants in 2004. Snowboarding, embraced by younger generations, grew by 4.4 percent to 6.6 million participants, according to the survey.

These activities, and many others that saw growth in 2004, require eyewear as an accessory to proper performance. Many dispensers carry sports eyewear such as swim goggles, ski/snowboard goggles, wind-resistant motorcycle glasses, and golf-specific glasses to cater to their clientele.

"Our general area of North Carolina and South Carolina is just saturated with golfers and golf courses," says Brian Boderbush, optician at Christenbury Eye Center in Charlotte, N.C. Playing to this market, the Center's dispensary instated a small section of eyewear focused on the specific needs of golfers just over one year ago. "We've sold quite a few since we started stocking them," Boderbush says.

Eyecare professionals may find a profit center in specific sports products that are relevant to their customers—based on local, regional, or demographic appeal. Here, we profile four optical shops that have successfully focused on four different areas—golf sunwear, ski/snowboard goggles, motorcycling glasses, and swim goggles/dive masks.

1. A DIFFERENT KIND OF SHREDDING

Practice: Sports Vision Bend in Bend, Ore.

Product Focus: Ski goggles and snowboard goggles

Background: Sixteen years ago, co-owner Roberta Johnson had a vision, but not enough product to fulfill it.

"My whole idea was to do sports-specific eyewear, but I couldn't do it because there wasn't enough sports-specific eyewear," she says.

So, she supplemented what was available with clothing and other sports accessories. About eight years later, the industry caught up to her concept.

"We could get enough product by season to stock only sports eyewear," she says. Today, this shop works with local eyecare professionals to refer customers for exams. They also offer prescription services through a local lab and the eyewear suppliers whose products they carry. The store has also grown sales online at its Website, www.sportsvisionbend.com.

Why Added: Since this shop is located only 20 minutes from the ski resort at Mt. Bachelor, one of its most-requested categories of sports eyewear was ski and snowboard goggles.

"Our goggle business has definitely grown," says co-owner Todd Johnson. "We are finding that customers have more ophthalmic needs in goggles, so we do a lot of inserts."

Percentage of Assortment: About five percent of in-store sales are goggles; online sales at this time of year can be 25 to 30 percent.

Merchandising Philosophy: "We are kind of unique in that we don't do a lot of P.O.P.," says Johnson. "We do have different goggle-related displays in our museum cases. Some also sit out in the front windows. We have three huge Smith posters that change seasonally, one of which is usually a snowboarder in the winter."

Marketing Philosophy: "On occasion, if there's a new hot piece coming out, we'll advertise in a local weekly paper," says Johnson.

2. ON THE GREEN

Practice: Christenbury Eye Center in Charlotte, N.C. (a laser surgery and eye center with a full optical shop)

Product Focus: Golf sunwear

Why Added: "We have a lot of patients who are golfers," says Brian Boderbush, optician and optical manager at Christenbury Eye Center.

"The way I looked at it, golfers will pay hundreds of dollars for a piece of equipment that will take a stroke or two off their game," he notes. "So, to pay $200 for a pair of glasses to better their game is no big deal for them. Why not have something here for these people?"

Merchandising Philosophy: "Plano sunwear is probably about 30 percent of our eyewear assortment because we do so much refractive surgery," says Boderbush, who stocks between 800 to 900 frames in the dispensary. "Golf glasses are probably about five percent of that
number." The assortment includes golf selections in
prices ranging from $149 to $229.

Marketing Philosophy: The golf eyewear is displayed separately to catch the eye of the customer. "We kind of created a golf section," says Boderbush. "We have the frames, plus a poster and a big countercard. If you don't have some kind of P.O.P., people won't know what they are. A lot of people won't even ask. But if you have the P.O.P., they will say, 'Hey, I play golf,' and they become interested."

The golf section is also strategically placed near the front of the optical department.

3. IN THE SWIM

Practice: Curt Walker Optician in San Diego

Product Focus: Swim goggles and dive masks

Why Added: This optical shop is in an area where swimming and scuba diving are prevalent. They found a niche providing Rx goggles and dive masks. "We opened because a lot of people don't have a place to go for this type of product," says Lisa Ladd, dispensary manager.

Prescription services are even provided on-site. "We send the Rx out to a lab, and we have an edger and do all the work here with the uncuts," says Ladd, who also notes that all prescriptions are done in glass. "Then we use a rock grinder to match the lens exactly to the face plate."

The in-store sales expanded into online sales and that business has grown tremendously (www.prescriptiondivemasks.com). "Before the net we were local; now we ship orders to China," says Ladd.

Percentage of Assortment: About 75 percent of all sales at this optical shop (including internet sales) are done in prescription swim goggles and dive masks. "We also carry eyeglass frames and have a kids' area too," says Ladd.

Merchandising Philosophy: The goggle and mask inventory is displayed in a big glass case in the center of the dispensary. Says Ladd: "It's in the middle against the wall facing the window so you can see it when you walk in." Different lens options are also displayed in this area.

Marketing Philosophy: "Our business has grown mainly by word-of-mouth," says Ladd. They have exhibited at some dive shows and advertised in Northwest Dive News. The shop also provides prescription services through a variety of local dive shops.

4. EASY RIDER

Practice: Marina Village Optometry, Chris Young, OD, Alameda, Calif.

Product Focus: Motorcycling glasses

Why Added: A customer who requested motorcycling product. "That prompted me to bring the line in and that's when we added it," says Young.

Percentage of Assortment: Approximately one to two percent of the total assortment.

Merchandising Philosophy: The eyewear is merchandised in a display case, and the frames are Rxable.

Marketing Philosophy: "We make sure the frames are pretty prominently displayed here," he says. "We also ask patients what they are looking for and if it seems like a good fit, we'll recommend motorcycling glasses to them."