POINT #1: CREATE CROSS-CHANNEL BRANDING

“How you present your business and your name is the most critical connecting point,” says Luthro. “The two fattest demographic groups are the aging boomers and the coming-into-money millennials. Both of these groups want personal connections.” Thus, Luthro recommends having a branded face (logo, colors, fonts, etc.) that represents well—and consistently—on every channel, from Twitter and your website to Google and your reception area.

POINT #2: GET PERSONAL

While Luthro says she’s seen some fantastic retail spaces in the eyewear market, she notes that even these businesses can still tend to forget about the doctor. “A patient shouldn’t be seeing the doctor for the first time in a dark, scary room in the back space of the office,” she says. “Bring the doctor into the front of your store via family photos, artwork, photography, or information on the charities they’re involved with. This familiarity makes for a more comfortable shopper and makes one that will return.”

POINT #3: SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE

Luthro points to the fact that the retail space in an eyecare business is still generally called a “dispensary.” She says, “Nobody but World War II veterans understand what a dispensary is, so start speaking your customer’s language. Of course, some of the rules are very different when it comes to regular retailing—the eye doctor’s office is a different experience but, in the end, it is still retailing a product.”

POINT #4: OFFER PERSONALIZATION

Customization and personalization are huge to millennials, says Luthro. So, offering products that can be customized with color or style (e.g., interchangeable temples or lenses) can be a boon to your business. “Personalization is something that has been lacking in this industry, but who wants to wear the same glasses every day?” she asks. “Customers want to know—‘Is there a way I can buy three pair or change up the one pair I have?’”

POINT #5: CREATE A BRAND AGNOSTIC PRESENTATION

“Retailers like Sephora have adopted a very brand agnostic approach today,” says Luthro. “They blog and provide ‘editorial’ information on the best products and that empowers shoppers. This is something that eyecare providers could be doing.”

Luthro suggests taking this approach on your business’ website, social media, and/or blog and amplifying the message that, ‘We have the brands you want and we can speak intelligently about these brands.’ “Sephora has reinforced the ownership of information and that’s powerful. It’s an omni-channel, constant flow of communication back and forth that is reinforced in-store with special displays and top picks on endcaps.”

POINT #6: TESTING + SAMPLING

Luthro points to a movement in consumer testing and sampling that brings things full circle back to the shopper. “There’s a space in Portland called The Sampling Lab started by a guy who understood that brands wanted a personal connection to their new shoppers,” she says. “It’s a shopping lab—you don’t get to buy anything, but you do get to take and try one or two full-size samples of products, from face creams to dryer sheets.”

In exchange, consumers provide specific demographic information and specific feedback on the product and its packaging. The goal? To learn what shoppers want and expect.

“This creates an immediate connection and a platform in which shoppers can offer feedback,” adds Luthro. “Testing and sampling are huge with Warby Parker—they drive their pop-up shop into a city like Portland and people get to test and sample their products.”