retrospectives

Demystifying Product Mix…

A timeless topic from March 1994

From chain buyers to independents, several frame buyers tell the article's author, Peggy Conway, what goes into making up their product mix.

FEEDBACK

“Sit down and work with customers for feedback. It's also very important for dispensers to understand why certain frames are being carried and at that price point, i.e., pointing out features and benefits.”

—Debbie Lochli, Hillman/Cohan
Optical, Totowa, N.J.

BUYING FORMULA

“Start with retail space. Think about the configuration of your space, the amount of product that can be displayed, and where you are positioned in the market. You must know who you are, and you must keep it in mind when talking to a vendor.”

—Del McNally, Consultant,
Palm Beach, Fla.

VALUE PROPOSITION

“No matter what the price point, customers want value.”

—Barbara Koos, Pearle Vision,
Dallas

STAFF INPUT

“When buying, I take seven or eight people with me, including dispensers and receptionists. We all try on frames to look for shapes that work for most people. We make decisions based on sizing, colors, styling, and, of course, demographics.”

—Steve Levenson, Kaiser
Permanente, Berkeley, Calif.

CONSULT DISPENSERS

“Don't think one person knows it all and can decide what's needed for each person who walks through the door. Be smart enough to turn to someone else in the organization, preferably the person on the floor. Ask customers when the opportunity arises. Get another opinion!”

—Nancy DiCosmo,
Au Courant,
Ann Arbor, Mich.

PRICE POINTS

“I think that value is a combination of the product and the customers knowing what they're getting for their money. The [latter] is partly a dispenser responsibility through in-store signage and sales associates.”

—Sandy Likes, LensCrafters,
Cincinnati

DEMOGRAPHICS

“I look at demographics in a different way. I watch the color base of my customers. In the Northwest, 60 to 65 percent of the people are blue base. We know this because we provide a color analysis to our customers. It helps tell me what colors to buy. This technique is also used by Ford Motor Company.”

—Carol Norbeck, Optical Illusions,
Bellevue, Wash.

PATIENT NEEDS

“The problem is getting buyers to purchase what the market wants instead of what they like. In terms of selling to consumers, it's training salespeople to sell what the patient really wants and needs instead of selling as much as they can.”

—Jack Schaeffer, OD,
Birmingham, Ala.

INVENTORY LEVEL

“Overbuying is the biggest mistake dispensers make. Then, they want to return or exchange it. That's one of the costliest problems in the industry today.”

—Herman Bennett, OD, Au Courant,
Ann Arbor, Mich

[Ed note: Affiliations reflect where interviewees worked in 1994, not where they are today.]