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GETTING Personal
How to capitalize on the customization trend that's sweeping the U.S. marketplace
By Lindsey Aspinall

Viva style Pure PE 200, a new launch.

Consumers are showing a passion for customization. Customized suits, made-to-fit, custom-designed jewelry and gowns, and even built-to-order homes, are all a result of consumer demand. ECPs are reporting they're customizing everything from high-end fashion frames, to sports frames, to rimless eyewear.

"Creating," not "buying," their merchandise is what grabs attention, and owning eyewear no one else has is a powerful seller. "People don't want to purchase eyewear they can't wait to show off, only to walk into a room and see 10 other people wearing it," says Cindy Keil, buyer for Eye Care Associates, ODPA, with 12 North Carolina locations.

LUXURIOUS INDULGENCES

High-end consumers have proven no dollar amount will stand in their way. Tinting, faceted lens designs, monogramming, and jewel insets in eyewear lure top-bracket consumers. "Our customers indulge in high-end eyewear for an exclusive product," says Robert Marc's Anna Natsume.

Craig Chasnov, co-owner and optician of Eyetopian, with four South West Florida locations, says high-end shoppers want something one-of-a-kind. "A first-time progressive wearer may get a drilled Spirit from Lindberg in an Autograph by Shamir, and an eight-base polarized progressive pair in a Chrome Hearts, and spend $2,300," he says. "It's not that they wouldn't spend this money before. It's that no one showed them this type of product."

SPORTS SPECIAL

Toulch offers changeable temples.

Sports speciality eyewear with a variety of lenses to meet specific needs adds the individualized edge for athletic patients.

"A road racer needs a frame that maximizes wind deflection," says Thomis Buell, owner of Tom's Sportique in Boulder, Colo. "An avid rider or mountain biker, on the other hand, needs less wind deflection, but a frame that prevents heat entrapment. There's a lot to consider when creating an athlete's ideal frame."

Customized lenses are popular in many sports. "We're working on a lens for a patient who shoots pool and needs to drop his head down to look through the lens' center," says Bill Curran, owner and optician of William Curran & Sons Opticians in Drexel Hill, Pa.

(Shown above top to bottom): Silver Dollar Optical style BTCF3018; a customized Robert Marc frame with monogramming; and Italee Tattoo style TA.11.  Rudy Project style Ketyum

RIMLESS CREATIONS

Custom rimless frames are a prime opportunity to offer patients bespoke eyewear. "It's a real selling feature to say we can customize a lens to perfectly compliment a patient's features," says Curran. "This makes them feel important—the way a custom-made suit or dress might."

Many rimless wearers are looking for a very specific size or shape, says Curran. "A customer recently came here wanting a perfectly round lens shape. We couldn't find one, so we made it," he says.

Offering customized eyewear can set your practice apart. "We tell our customers that we specialize in things most places say can't be done," says Chasnov. "If it can be built, we can do it! Customers have fun shopping for glasses when they can select from an endless choice of eyewear."

Custom Made Easy

Customized eyewear is now more available to consumers. Santinelli International's Fashion Lab uses a software system by Activisu and provides precision customization of rimless eyewear. Fashion Lab has played a major role in generating more interest in
rimless frames by making them easier to produce.

"Customization is a growing trend both in-store and online," says Gerard Santinelli, president and CEO of Santinelli. "Fashion Lab brings this trend into the optical industry."

Fashion Lab has eliminated many problems previously associated with producing customized eyewear. "Prior to the Fashion Lab program, customizing eyewear was a tiresome process of trial and error and repetitive patient visits, consuming a lot of time," explains Jay Binkowitz of American Eye Care in Astoria, N.Y. "The risk of errors made it a concern and expense. But with Fashion Lab, we take a digital photo of the patient and 'finish' the custom size and shape of the lenses immediately."

Customization Nation

Knowing what each generation wants when it comes to customization can help you make the sale no matter who walks through the door.

Silhouette Titan Wave model 7526 from the Titan Rimless Collection

Gen Y: "Generation Y is picky and brand sensitive," says Joan Loyd, a specialist in leadership development and organizational change. "They expect customization to individual needs. This generation is used to buying customized jeans on the Internet and burning their own CDs. Pressure for customized benefits will increase."

Gen X: A difficult generation to define, Gen Xers generally rebel against labels. According to the Web Analytics Association: "Gen X consumers are known to be cynical. They want to carefully evaluate their choices and reach their own purchasing decisions. They are not brand loyal." This anti-brand attitude can play well in dispensaries that pitch personalized product.

Boomers: This generation is not a fan of the massive commercialization and conglomeration of those Mom and Pop companies they grew up with. As a result, they are prime candidates for selecting products tailored to their needs. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, "Boomers seek personalization and customization. They don't like mass-market anything—they prefer nontraditional alternatives."

Seniors: "Seniors are choosy consumers. They are wiser, more rational, and less influenced by trends," says Emilie Boyer King of the Website BrandChannel.com. This doesn't mean they won't be on board to the wave of customization—it means they'll need more time to be educated on why they need it. Take the time to talk with your senior patients and you'll likely get their sales.