TAKING ON THE BIG WP

At the end of January, Cliff Balter—owner of the Philly EyeWorks eyewear brand— took a stand for local small businesses by staging a peaceful protest outside online and brick-and-mortar optical powerhouse Warby Parker’s new Philadelphia location.

A Big Bone to Pick. Beyond simple, healthy competition, Balter had a bigger bone to pick with the big WP. A few years ago when Warby Parker ventured out on a countrywide marketing tour, the online eyewear retailer had fitted out a school bus to drive around to major cities promoting the brand and to serve as a mobile store. When it came to Philadelphia, it parked right in front of Innervision Eyewear, Balter's optical shop that's home to Philly EyeWorks as well as other independent specs brands.

Poaching for Dollars? “On one hand, parking in front of a busy, local eyeglass shop was a great way to promote their brand. On the other hand, it's disappointing to see a big corporation that portrays themselves as the little guy poach customers from a small, independent shop,” he says.

A Local Advantage. Balter says he’s not bitter about WP coming to his town, but he wants Philadelphians to understand the importance of supporting local small businesses like his. To wit, Philly EyeWorks has launched a head-turning, new ad campaign with a Buy Local message that addresses the WP misstep.

phillyeyeworks.com

Who Is Philly EyeWorks? The Philly EyeWorks brand features 21 eclectic frame styles, each available in hundreds of color and finish combinations ranging from bright and colorful to simple. Each frame is hand finished in its Philadelphia workshop and is priced at $149, which includes single-vision lenses. Philly EyeWorks designs, colors, sandblasts, and finishes its frames in Philly, hires local, and pays living wages to its employees.

—Erinn Morgan

On Our Radar
THE BIGGEST TRENDS IN SIGHT…

MAKING A SPECTACLE

A fantastical journey of the history of the spectacle is currently on tap at the Design Museum Holon, an emerging global center for design in Holon, Israel. Running through April, the exhibition—titled “Overview”—is curated by Maya Dvash and engages with “one of the most important inventions in human history, and a desirable design object: eyeglasses.”

“Overview” includes the never-before-exhibited (and unique) Claude Samuel retrospective collection dating back to the 17th century, as well as a look to the future with the museum’s in-house Design Lab serving up an interactive display of virtual reality (VR) units. Created in collaboration with Holon Cinematheque, the display invites visitors to watch VR films.

Learn more—and see more—here: dmh.org.il

THE BUZZ ON SPECS

Eyewear is all abuzz at Silhouette’s neubau collection, which is teaming up with The Honey Bee Conservancy to bring honeybee hives to two thriving gardens in New York City. This unique program is part of neubau’s new SEE & DO GOOD initiative, which also includes the debut of the line’s use of the sustainable, castor-oil-based naturalPX material plus recycled packaging.

See what all the buzz is about at the neubau booth at Silhouette International at Vision Expo East or visit neubau-eyewear.com .

The Merger Heard ‘Round the World

ECPs react to news of the pending Essilor/Luxottica deal

When news broke in January about the planned merger between Essilor and Luxottica—a reported $49 billion deal that will fuse the two biggest optical companies in the world—speculation and a good amount of trepidation started flying. Seemingly, everyone from the national news to local optometrists had a take on the situation.

Though the deal still has to go through several European approvals, it would create a holding company comprising leaders of both companies.

WE ASKED OUR READERS: Does the fact that a vendor (any vendor) has assets across channels (retail, lab, online) affect your decision to do business with it?

To take the pulse of independent ECPs across the country, EB deployed a reader survey. Of the nearly 650 respondents to our survey, 82% are Essilor customers in some way, and 68% do business with Luxottica. Customer or non-customer, ECPs were not shy in voicing their opinions. Here’s a quick breakdown:

The Impact. A full 55% of the respondents indicated they believe the merger will negatively impact their practice, and 42% said they were taking a wait-and-see attitude. A small percentage noted that the merger will benefit their business. And, nearly 40 respondents said their business wouldn’t be affected at all.

Executives Respond. Essilor and Luxottica have been reaffirming their commitment to independent practices, stressing that their combined product lines could mean an efficiency in ordering and processing Rx’s in the future. Together, they say they can bring more resources to their customers.

“Our goal is—and will continue to be—to help eyecare professionals better compete with what’s out there, including everything from e-commerce to cheaply made products,” says Fabrizio Uguzzoni, president, Luxottica Wholesale North America. “Independents represent the largest share of our wholesale business. If we make a decision that is not in their favor, it won’t help us. We’re in it for the long haul with them.”

Eric Leonard, president of Essilor of America, says the merged companies can help independents face today's business challenges. “Independent ECPs will need stronger suppliers to be at the forefront of innovation and quality, to deliver faster turn times and to leverage powerful brands. It will enable them to more successfully compete in the market,” he says. “This is why we are thrilled by the opportunity to accelerate offerings which will help take the independent eyecare professional to the next level. This is a strong opportunity to build our future together.”

ECPs’ CONCERNS, BROKEN DOWN

The key concerns voiced by survey respondents include:

• 

  A monopoly is not good for an industry in general.

• 

  The merged entity would have power to control pricing of frames, lenses, labs, and insurance reimbursements and policies.

• 

  Luxottica-owned retail chains would be able to offer premium Essilor lens products at a lower price.

According to one survey respondent: “It is hard for our small independent practice to feel good about this merger. We are concerned that it will mean that small practices will not have the pricing advantages that the large corporate stores will have...even more so than how it is now.”

Some respondents, however, have a more positive outlook on the situation, along with a wait-and-see attitude: “[It is] too soon to tell, but our practice may benefit due to better price points on Luxottica products and possibly additional marketing opportunities.”

Time will certainly tell how the chips will fall, but eyecare practices that continue to innovate with smart business directions will undoubtedly continue to thrive.

—Susan Tarrant

3 BIG Trends From opti Munich 2017

the annual international trade show for optics and design held in January, opti Munich hosted a whopping 27,500 national and international trade visitors, as well as 557 exhibitors from 35 countries. It also revealed cutting-edge brands on the forefront of new technology with an overarching theme of working toward a sustainable future. Here, EB unveils three trends we spotted at opti to keep on the radar.

DIGGING DIGITAL.

opti’s thematic focus for 2017 on digital solutions proved to be a fan favorite, with a mix of groundbreaking technology and enlightening lectures guiding the industry in the new year. Making waves on the show floor was Silhouette’s Vision Sensation (providing a single source for frames and lenses) and the Vision Sensation app, which automatically calculates a customer’s individual parameters and adapts fitting heights. Vision Sensation will be launched in the U.S. later this year with select ECPs.

NEW KIDS.

Newbies were welcomed, too, as industry newcomer lool eyewear, based in Barcelona, won the hearts of the panelists in the premiere Blogger Spectacle.

SUSTAINABLE SPECS.

Many brands highlighted sustainable goals, including KOMONO. The company’s new NEUTRØ Series offers sunglass styles crafted of EcoPaXX, a material derived from castor beans and developed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also steering toward a sustainable future is neubau eyewear, which launched its first eyewear models made from the highly refined, environmentally friendly polymer naturalPX.

—Kerri Ann Raimo

opti Munich 2018 will take place Jan. 12-14.

All photos courtesy of GHM

Reaching a Younger Audience

Transitions Optical announces new resources + new campaign

if you want to grow your business—specifically, your photochromic business—you must start reaching a younger consumer/patient base. And that means you may have to start marketing (and talking) to patients differently.

This was the overriding message at Transitions Academy 2017, themed “My Light,” held Jan. 30-Feb.1 at Disney’s Swan Hotel in Orlando, FL. The conference provided more than 650 industry professionals with Transitions Optical product workshops, professional development, and information on market and industry trends.

NEW CAMPAIGN, NEW MARKET

At the forefront of Transitions Optical’s message was helping ECPs increase their Transitions sales by appealing to the next big market: millennials.

SPOILER ALERT: New lens tint colors are being test-marketed in Italy, and may soon find their way to the American market.

Both Darragh O’Connor, Transitions’ new vice president of global marketing, and Patience Cook, director of marketing for North America, outlined the new consumer campaign—“Live the Good Light”—that focuses on the style and technology that allows wearers to enjoy every moment in every location of their day. A host of social media assets and marketing resources—including a new Transitions Lens Style Guide—are available to all ECPs to help them reach new, younger wearers (sign up at transitionspro.com/goodlight ).

INNOVATIVE ECPS

The event culminated with the 2016 Transitions Innovation Awards. The winners are:

Best in Marketing: Value Optical in Trinidad & Tobago
Best in Training: New Look Eyewear, a Canadian optical retailer with 78 locations
Best in Patient Experience: Professional VisionCare, an independent practice in Columbus, OH
Best in Growth Achievement: Pacific EyeCare, an independent practice in Port Orchard, WA
2016 Transitions Brand Ambassador: Sheena Taff, optician, with Roberts & Brown Opticians in Vancouver, Canada

—Susan Tarrant