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Hot List: October 2013

Alicia Hoglund

1 LET’S CELEBRATE!
“Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.” Source: HispanicHeritageMonth.gov (Hosted by the Library of Congress)

2 Cultural Considerations

■ Mexican Americans are more likely to say scheduling an eye exam for another family member is more important than scheduling one for themselves.

■ Puerto Ricans are the most likely to “strongly agree” that they find eyecare professionals less intimidating than other health professionals.

■ Cubans and Central Americans are more likely to appreciate when their eyecare professionals get to know them personally.

Source: Transitions Optical Multicultural Survey, 2013

3 On the Map

According to the Pew Research Center, more than half (55 percent) of the nation’s Hispanic population lives in just three states:

California Texas Florida

4 Up, Up, Up!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic population is steadily rising.

53 million

The Hispanic population of the U.S. as of July 1, 2012, making it the nation’s largest ethnic or racial minority.

128.8 million

The projected Hispanic population of the U.S. in 2060. According to this projection, the Hispanic population will constitute 31 percent of the nation’s population by that date.

Industry Heads to Vegas for VEW

At the beginning of this month, the optical industry heads to lucky Las Vegas for the 25th International Vision Expo West. The four-day event, which will be held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center from October 2 to 5, will feature the latest trends in frames, lenses, equipment, accessories, and technology as well as hundreds of hours of continuing education, networking opportunities, special events, and much more.

For more information about the show, or to register, visit the VEW website. Be sure to “like” the Eyecare Business Facebook page and follow along as we provide live coverage of the event from the show floor. And don’t forget to check out the November issue for an in-depth look at the highlights from the show.

INFO: visionexpowest.com, facebook.com/eyecarebusiness

Lighthouse International, Jewish Guild Healthcare Announce Merger Two well-known not-for-profit vision care organizations, Jewish Guild Healthcare and Lighthouse International, have announced plans to join forces. The duo will now operate under the new name, Lighthouse Guild International. The merged organization will be led by the current chief executive officers (CEO) of each organization, with Alan R. Morse, JD, PhD, serving as president and CEO and Mark G. Ackermann as chief operating officer and executive vice president. The organization will be governed by a 41-member Board of Directors led by chairman James M. Dubin and vice-chairman Joseph A. Ripp. All current members of the Boards of Jewish Guild Healthcare, formerly known as The Jewish Guild for the Blind, and Lighthouse International will join the newly constituted Board. Lighthouse Guild International will offer a broad array and comprehensive scope of services currently available for people who are blind, vision impaired, or multi-disabled. Services include medical, rehabilitation, educational, vocational, and long-term care as well as social services—all specially designed to enhance physical, emotional, social, and intellectual functioning.

License Lineup

Mondottica USA has announced that it has signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Cody Air to manufacture and distribute the Cody Air eyewear collection, effective immediately.

Signet Armorlite, Inc., and Eastman Kodak Company have renewed their 17-year licensing agreement, under which Signet Armorlite has licensed the Kodak name in the marketing of ophthalmic lenses worldwide, allowing the company to attach a trusted name to its proprietary lens designs, treatments, and materials.

Cool Clicks

A&A Optical recently launched a Pinterest page, complete with fun and informative images from the latest eyewear collections, fashion tips, window display ideas, and much more. Follow along at pinterest.com/aaoptical.

Prevent Blindness America has added a new section to its online educational library, the sVMA Learning Center, highlighting symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion (symptomatic VMA), a disease which primarily affects adults older than 70. The section, found at preventblindness.org/svma, provides information on the signs, symptoms, and treatments available for symptomatic VMA.

Blaxall Optics Vision, Ltd., an international supplier of technology for the visually impaired, has launched blaxalloptics.co.nz, a new website designed for vision rehabilitation professionals and their patients. The site provides a comprehensive guide to low vision devices for ECPs and consumers.

Legacie, Neesh Eyewear Ink Distribution Deal Legacie has announced a partnership with Neesh Eyewear, Inc., for the exclusive distribution of Judith Leiber Eyewear, David Yurman Eyewear, and Betsy Johnson Eyewear in the Canadian region. The partnership will help Legacie strengthen its outreach and strengthen its international partnerships, company representatives note.

L’Amy America, A&A Optical Announce PARTNERSHIP

Stephen Rappoport, president of L’Amy America, and Robert Liner, president and chief executive officer of A&A Optical Company, have jointly announced a new sales and service partnership between the two companies. Neither a merger nor an acquisition, the two companies will collaborate to significantly grow each other’s market share both domestically and internationally through a sales and service agreement for certain brands within each company’s portfolio. Under the agreement, the A&A Optical sales team will represent L’Amy America’s new Ann Taylor and Sperry Top-Sider ophthalmic/sun collections. In turn, L’Amy America has started to introduce brands within the portfolio of A&A Optical to many new accounts worldwide.

Word Search

By Jenean Carlton, BA, ABOC, NCLC

Fitting children with prescription eyewear can be a difficult, yet very rewarding, experience. Try to find all of the terms in this puzzle that relate to dispensing eyewear to children. For answers, go to FYI on page 80.

Good Idea

Disco Discounts

In an effort to boost sales in the slower summer months and make room for new merchandise, Valerie Vittu, owner of Margot & Camille Optique in Philadelphia, held a special sale in conjunction with her neighborhood’s First Friday event, which promotes local art in the area. Playing on the term “disco” for discontinued, Vittu held a “Disco Sale,” offering her discontinued frame styles at 50 percent off. She created a buzz for the event via posters and Facebook posts, as well as a fun video. Vittu and her team got into the spirit of the sale, which was held outside in front of the shop, with themed costumes, music, and drinks.

As she hoped, the sale was successful at moving discontinued merchandise. And, as an added bonus, the sale increased foot traffic within the store, generating many full-priced sales as well.

(Top to bottom) Valerie Vittu dons disco gear to draw attention to the Disco Sale; passersby check out the discounted frames; the Margot & Camille Optique team show off their colorful costumes; posters created for the sale were hung in the window display to advertise the event

Stat Box Can coupons reduce consumers’ stress levels? According to the Coupons.com and Claremont Graduate University joint study, “Your Brain on Coupons: Neurophysiology of Couponing,” created by Paul J. Zak, PhD, a professor of neuroeconomics at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA, it’s possible. The results of the study, which was performed in a laboratory setting and measured the physiological and psychological effects of coupons, suggest that oxytocin, a hormone directly related to love and happiness, spikes when people receive a coupon. Here are a few key findings from the study: ■ Oxytocin levels elevated by 38 percent ■ Respiration rates fell 32 percent ■ Heart rates dropped five percent from 73 beats per minute to 70 beats per minute ■ Sweat level on the palms of the hands were 20 times lower ■ Those who received coupons were 11 percent happier

VSP

Debuts Clicks for Kids Campaign

To help raise awareness of the role healthy vision plays in a child’s success, VSP Vision Care has announced the creation of the “Clicks for Kids” campaign. VSP’s goal is provide up to 25,000 gift certificates for comprehensive eye exams and new eyewear to Big Brothers Big Sisters programs nationwide, a value of $10 million.

ECPs and consumers are encouraged to participate by visiting the “Clicks for Kids” page at SeeMuchMore.com and “clicking” to benefit either their local Big Brothers Big Sisters program or one with the greatest need. For every click sent, a gift certificate for a free comprehensive eye exam and pair of eyeglasses (if needed) will be donated by VSP to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The latest campaign is one of many within VSP’s Eyes of Hope charity programs, with which VSP has invested close to $160 million in free eyecare and eyewear to more than 800,000 adults and children in need.

INFO: seemuchmore.com/clicks-for-kids

AllAboutVision.com Supports World Sight Day

AllAboutVision.com is celebrating World Sight Day with a three-month promotion to raise funds for the Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) event. For the months of September, October, and November, AllAboutVision.com will donate $5 for every “like” it receives on its Facebook page. Through OGS, each $5 donation can provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses in some developing countries.

INFO: facebook.com/allaboutvision; givingsight.org/get-involved/world-sight-day-challenge.html

On the Town

Last month, Marchon celebrated the launch of the G-Star RAW Eyewear collection with an exclusive event at The High Line Hotel in New York during New York Fashion Week. Guests sampled the latest G-Star RAW styles while DJs Tennessee Thomas and Paul Sevigny performed on stage. A video capturing the event can be viewed on G-Star’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/watch?v=t_m5-WDSHP4&feature=youtube.

Vision-Ease Lens hosted more than 120 professionals at the Secrets Wild Orchid in Montego Bay, Jamaica, for its fourth annual VELA Forum, which featured presentations on sales training and sales, brand and marketing strategies, and Vision-Ease’s new products and technology.

Satisloh completed the move of its North American headquarters to a larger facility within the same Germantown suburb of Milwaukee. To celebrate, the company hosted staff and local dignitaries to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new facility, followed by dinner and a tour of the new offices where attendees made their own Rx glasses on an OBM Micro-Lab, a fully-integrated production line in Satisloh’s on-site customer training center.

1. Tyson Beckford at Marchon’s G-Star RAW event; 2.-3. Frame styles from the latest collection and brand signage welcome guests to the G-Star RAW party during New York Fashion Week; 4. Attendees of the 2013 VELA Forum gather for a group photo; 5. (L to r) Germantown city officials with Satisloh’s Gregg Gerschke and Larry Clarke kick off Satisloh’s Open House celebration with a ribbon cutting ceremony