5-STAR RETAILING

The New Rules

Nine retailing fundamentals that maximize practice income

The Retail Track at next month’s Vision Expo West includes six hours of great education. Eyecare Business is the exclusive trade press partner for these all-new classes. To give you a glimpse of what’s ahead, we spoke with Bill Gerber, who will be presenting two classes on Fri., Sept. 17, about his ideas for retail success.

when basic retail fundamentals are ignored, it saps the industry of its ability to thrive. Here are nine rules of retailing to help vision care businesses maximize patient satisfaction and build practice income.

1. OPTICAL CLUTTER IS OUT. Clean and simple is in. Buying eyewear is an infrequent event for most people. Make the experience pleasurable with a welcoming setting and by presenting your selection in an easy-to-understand, curated way.

2. MULTIPLE PAIR SALES BEGIN IN THE EXAM LANE WITH A WRITTEN TREATMENT PLAN. Progressive vision care practices have learned from dentistry that a written treatment plan from the doctor helps serve the patient’s total visual needs. Most eyecare pros say people need three pairs to meet their lifestyle needs, so why do so few patients buy what they truly need? Treatment plans combined with effective merchandising represent a big growth opportunity.

3. GENDER, VENDOR, AND LIFESTYLE SIGNAGE ARE KEY TO A THRIVING OPTICAL. Few retailers in other fields would open their doors without proper signage, yet studies show fewer than 5% of optical retailers have the signage they need. Signage and displays that visually support the doctor’s lifestyle treatment plan help boost the sale of multiple pairs and increase patient satisfaction.

4. STORYTELLING LEADS TO DISCOVERY AND MORE MULTIPLE PAIR PURCHASES. Patients want to know the back stories of designers, collections, and creations. Written descriptions and digital picture frames help share the inspiration behind what you’re selling.

5. FRAME BOARDS ARE SO ’50s. Eyewear design has radically outpaced this display method, and the individual details of each eyewear creation are lost when frames line up like soldiers on a wall. Shelving with minimal to zero cabinetry makes your frames shine.

6. LIGHTING IS IMPORTANT. Showcase your frames using the latest LED lighting. Good lighting brings out subtle detailing and stimulates the desire to own. Plan to spend at least 30% of a build-out or remodeling project budget on lighting.

7. CUSTOMERS EXPECT DIGITAL INTERACTION. Incorporate tablets into all parts of your business: reception, pre-test, exam, and optical. Technology makes your job easier, and it’s effective for lens presentation, digital measurements, and retail storytelling.

8. FRAMES ARE EASILY OVERLOOKED IN WINDOW DISPLAYS. Large-scale graphics (aka window clings) draw attention, especially for people driving by and seeing the store from different angles and distances. Many frame and lens vendors will supply high-quality imagery that can be custom-printed to fit specific window dimensions.

9. WAITING ROOMS ARE THINGS OF THE PAST. You want to eliminate all barriers between the optical space and where patients spend time before their exam. Use comfortable lounge-like seating in what’s now known as the reception area. It’s a good way to encourage pre-appointment browsing and interaction between patients and optical staff.

So there you have them: the New Rules of Optical Retailing. Use them to energize your business and boost your optical sales.

Bill Gerber is creative director of OMG! Optical Marketing Group, which helps optical businesses fine-tune their spaces into a cohesive, customized, modern environment where sales and customer satisfaction grow.

For more information: omghome.net.