Round & Round

Eyewear is circling back to rounds. The signature round silhouette has found its home on fashion runways, including this Giorgio Armani style from the designer’s Spring/Summer 2018 ready-to-wear show. Keep the trend on tap in the optical with a mix of fearless, oversized rounds as well as smaller, scholastic-inspired styles—a great match for angular faces shapes.

—Kerri Ann Raimo

[Your Brand Here]

Does your practice or company use private-label lenses, coatings, or frames? If so, it may be helping your business more than you realize.

According to the recently released Private Brand Intelligence Report, the role of private brands (aka house brands or private-label brands) in retail is growing, as consumers are becoming much more accepting of the notion in other retail categories, with 81% of U.S. consumers buying a private brand on every or almost every shopping trip.

A sign of the times: Amazon’s private-label offerings now include nearly 80 brands (twice as many as it had last year), according to CNBC. —Susan Tarrant

Why They Buy

What motivates eyewear consumers to make their purchasing decisions? Depending on the age of the patient it’s either the experience, frame style, or cost.

Research commissioned by Transitions Optical surveyed eyeglass wearers in three age groups: Gen X, millennials, and baby boomers. Some takeaways to note:

» Millennials are significantly more likely to say that shopping for eyeglasses is an enjoyable or easy experience (59%) than Gen X (43%) and baby boomers (42%).

» Half of eyeglass wearers say the eyeglass shopping experience would be improved by having clear and upfront costs and good frame selection.

» Millennials are four times more likely than other generations to have their eyeglass decisions influenced by a celebrity, athlete, or online influencer. —ST