BUYER’S FORUM

Springing into Spring

Thawing your sales this season means keeping your styles fresh

finally! There’s a hint of spring in the air as happy shoppers throw aside their dark colors and heavy fabrics for lighter options. Though eyewear does tend to offer more of a year-round style, there are still seasonal considerations to be made in terms of buying for the season.

This month, we spoke with Paul Garcia, ABOC, FNAO, the business manager and merchandise buyer at Charlotte’s Optical in Colorado Springs, CO, about what’s in bloom for spring at his shop.

eb: What do you think are the major trends your customers/patients will be wearing for spring?

pg: I think that most of my customers are very self aware of the aura that comes with the coming of spring, and the most common denominator is confidence.

I think people are responsive to spring and what it means and follow suit with the new beginnings that the season brings. The most trustworthy trends for us (for the last few seasons now) have been vivid color and confident styles that are center stage in a time that has the promise of spring as the backdrop.

eb: How do you keep your inventory fresh in a season transitional period?

pg: I find that using the changes that surround us during spring as the vehicle for change always seem to make the transition make sense, and make the move more like “a necessary, forward motion” rather than a “leap of faith change.” Capitalizing on things like Pantone’s new color choice of the year, maybe some local happenings in your town, or some buzzing spring topic to add reason and body to your sales pitch.

Customers like to know that you understand the current state of fashion, and being in tune with the movement, especially on a seasonal basis (which is how the rest of the fashion world works), will only fortify and validate the reason why you are selling what you are selling.

eb: How are you keeping displays fresh and eye-catching this spring?

pg: Rather than using only displays and typical point-of-purchase this year, we are going to put an emphasis on the story behind the concepts that made the frames. Every optician knows that to sell eyewear one must romance the product to our customers.

— Amy Spiezio

Want to talk about what gives your frame buying flair? Please email executive editor Amy Spiezio, Amy.Spiezio@PentaVisionMedia.com.