Who will win the optical retail race? The businesses that have the vision to adapt, change, and deliver cutting-edge tech will undoubtedly rise to the top.

The optical arena has an ever-expanding number of players, from independent practices and private equity-funded groups to online sellers and corporate opticals. As the market becomes more crowded, competition becomes more intense for all those involved on the playing field.

How is a corporate optometrist—who may be a contract or even employed O.D.—to define their practice today to remain viable and thrive in the marketplace in their own community?

In our cover feature in this issue—The 2020 Retail Survival Guide starting on page 10—we address this question by providing four smart, tested solutions. COT!’s contributing writer Maria Sampalis, O.D., catches up with two successful corporate optometrists—from a Walmart sublease holder to an owner of a practice located next to a Walmart Vision Center—to reveal just how they are prepping their business for a highly competitive future.

One Tip: Equip your office with new technology to provide higher-quality eye exams and define your business as a high-tech place of business.

Want more competitive intel? Also in this issue, COT!’s New Grad column on page 6 delivers a competitive edge with four hands-on ways corporate locations efficiently handle high patient volume. On page 8 in our Business Insider column, six retail experts (from Luxottica Eye Care’s senior director of O.D. engagement to Walmart’s regional talent specialist) divulge the state of corporate optometry today—plus its outlook for the future.

There’s also much, much more in this content-packed issue of COT! On page 16, check out our inspiring interview with one corporate O.D. who is a biochemist, pharmacist—and optometrist.

We hope you enjoy the issue!

P.S. Want more? Check out our Facebook page: @CorporateOptometryToday!

Erinn Morgan
Editor-in-Chief + Editorial Director
Corporate Optometry Today! + Eyecare Business