buyer’s forum

Gaining through clarity

Amy Spiezio

Lindberg style 6511

Photographer: Bill Diodato

Hair/Makeup: Vassilis Kokkinidis

Model: Yulia Panina/Q Management

The trends and changes in eyewear styles can be a pretty dramatic metaphor for life in the world of optical retail. This issue’s transparent looks can be an inspiration for an updating of your retail practices to transparent business, starting on the frame boards and moving into all aspects of your optical.

In a post at retail solutions firm Lenati’s blog (www.lenati.com/blog) entitled “Price Transparency: How to Address Paradigm Shift in Retail,” principal Martin Mehalchir and senior consultant Aura Cook presented several strategies for competing in a transparent market—one in which your customers know you and your competitors’ pricing and programs.

What they suggest may readily apply to your world—or help you get to the world you’d like to inhabit.

1 Offer Exclusive Product. Whether it’s a local exclusive on a capsule collection or on an up-and-coming brand, having something that no one in the area stocks is a leg up for you. While everyone may want a certain brand of sunglasses, they also want to feel like they are getting something different and special.

2 Take Advantage of Multi-channel. Now is the time to start exploring your cyber options, particularly in a way that can help you sell product in your brick-and-mortar location. Consider adding product descriptions of your new frames on a website so shoppers can research and buy while they are in-store on at home.

3 Add Value by Giving. Doing well by doing good isn’t a new concept, but it continues to resonate with everyone from the post-hippie baby boomers to the finely tuned, socially acclimated millennials. When a sale adds to a philanthropic effort, everyone’s a winner.

4 Get Local. It’s no wonder a certain online eyewear retailer took a bus tour around the U.S., parking in cities to connect with consumers and potential customers. As plugged in as today’s shoppers are, they still like a tangible connection with their shopping options. Trunk shows, fashion shows, and charity events at your store help you take advantage of proximity to patients and build genuine relationships beyond the boards. FB