From the catwalk to the stands, and even in the queue for coffee, 100% Optical provides an ideal place to get a hint of the biggest trends in eyewear. From pops of colour, to metal detailing, and chunky shapes – there is something for everyone to love. But where to begin?
OT asked exhibitors what to consider when selecting collections for practice.
1 Affordable fashion
Zainab Suleman, co-founder of Rebel Eyewear, told OT: “What we’re seeing in store now is that people want the fashion but need it to be affordable.”
Keeping up with the advances of internet retailers poses a challenge, Suleman, who is also a practice owner, emphasised.
“We are actually seeing a massive decline in footfall in our stores – last year was down a few percent compared to previous years, and I believe that is because people are going over to the online offering,” she said.
Suleman highlighted: “In order to keep our customers in store, we have to offer a range of eyewear and styles at a range of prices, to speak to every single person with different budgets.”
2 Embrace a style
Nicole Browne, senior account manager at Red Eyewear, shared: “Every independent has their own style. I think there are loads of great practices that are doing lots of styling and working with such incredible brands.”
Sharing her recommendation for selecting a range of frames for practice, she suggested looking for “something quirky but also commercial.”
3 Customer-first
Will Cooksey, UK country manager and director for Modstyle Eyewear UK, emphasised the need to be led by the customer.
“Really, it needs to come from your customer. Your customer is always going to dictate where you need to go,” he said.
4 A strong brand story
Jason Kirk, CEO of Kirk & Kirk, told OT: “When the economy is difficult, people need something special to give them the desire to buy new glasses. That usually brings colour, bold shapes, big, expansive materials, and lots of daring eyewear.”
Kirk highlighted the need for brands to have a strong story, “rather than just a product,” along with strong communication and practice support.
“If I had an independent practice myself, I would be doing fewer brands but going deeper into them, so you can really tell the story and show confidence to the consumer,” he suggested.
5 Communicating value
Consumers need to understand the value of the product, Kirk outlined, sharing: “The consumer really needs to understand what they are paying for.”
“The consumer needs to think about what it is that is going to make them spend good money on an eye test, or great money on a frame, and why they should spend more money on lenses,” he added.
Kirk continued: “It is our role in independent optics to communicate what that is about, and if the consumer decides they want to buy the cheaper option, that’s okay as long as they know what all the reasons are.”
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