buyer’s forum
The Plastic Evolution
Amy Spiezio
Well, it’s official. People LOVE plastic frames and they just can’t get enough of them. Our Regional Trends survey respondents report that they are selling more plastic frames than ever before. Over the past five years, we’ve seen the old material master, metal, lose its crown—and its market share—to the fantastic plastic frames today. How did frames come to this? Follow the trends, as reported in EB, to see the transition.
JULY 2009: “Metal eyewear and second-pair sunwear are the strong frame stories for 2009. At a time when buyers are looking for their dollars to go as far as possible, the frames they opt for need to be strong and versatile.”
JULY 2010: “Metal frames still rule the market, but the power of plastic frames continues to grow in 2010, drawing attention and new wearers.”
JULY 2011: “With plastic eyewear trending up in the East and West, acetates continue their quest for equality with metal frame styles. But thanks to metal sales in the Midwest and South, the material dominates frame sales—but with less than a 50 percent share for the first time in EB’s study.”
JULY 2012: “Plastic frames are in fashion,” notes Roseanne Morrison, fashion director, The Doneger Group in New York. “The universal frame is the nerd frame, and the cats-eye retro fascination is doing super well in sun and eyewear.”
“Plastic has surpassed the 50 percent mark in three out of four regions and 53 percent nationally for the first time since the Eyecare Business Regional Trends study began.”
JULY 2013: This year, the trend continues, and plastic has passed the tipping point and solidly leads the frame market. Is this a phase or the new reality for frames? Only time will tell.
| Inventory Question of the Month |
The majority of respondents to our annual Regional Trend Report indicate that plastic now rules the roost in terms of their dispensaries’ frame sales. How does the material sell in your shop? - We’ve officially become a predominantly plastic-frame practice. It’s selling for men, women, and kids alike. - We’re the exception to what’s becoming the rule. Our patients still prefer the features and benefits of metal frames. - We’re finding that metal and plastic mixes are grabbing attention now. Please email your responses to executive editor Amy Spiezio at Amy.Spiezio@PentaVisionMedia.com or cast your vote at the EB Facebook page, facebook.com/eyecarebusiness |
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| FRAMES U.S.A. |
EAST COAST While few frames are made in the U.S.A. today, quite a few frame manufacturers are based in the U.S. Their designs often reflect their location, like these locally inspired brands. 
Selima Optique, a luxury eyewear firm, has operated out of NYC for nearly 20 years. Offering eyewear with a modern sensibility while paying homage to the past with timeless classics, the urban influence can be seen in its newest collection, a collaboration with Stefania Pia for Spring/Summer 2013 (shown above left). Paying homage to its roots in New York City, the MarchoNYC brand from Marchon definitely makes reference to its hometown in the nature of its designs. The collection features sleek and chic styles in four sub collections including, East Side, West Side, Uptown, and Downtown (shown above right). WEST COAST 
Oakley illustrates a whole world of California cool with its bold sun styles and sports lifestyle-driven designs. Working out of headquarters in Orange County, CA, the design team shows off its ski and surf and science sensibilities (shown above top). Tapping into the creative cool that is West Hollywood, l.a.Eyeworks represents the best of the West with iconic designs by Barbara McReynolds and Gai Gherardi. And what could be more Hollywood than the tagline, “A face is like a work of art. It deserves a great frame” (shown above bottom). |
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