EDITOR'S LETTER
Survival Strategies
Setphanie K. DeLong

Way back when, David beat Goliath. And, today, small can still beat big. An article in the Sept. 1 issue of Fortune magazine studied how five small businesses are doing just that. The lessons to be learned apply as much to optical as to other small businesses, such as Polly's Gourmet Coffee in Southern California. Within a few years, Polly's competition grew from a single Starbucks nine blocks away to 11 businesses selling
coffee within 900 yards. What did the owner do? He focused on appearance and service, added performance incentives, and trained staff to cater to customers.

• "They focus on a niche in which they can excel and to which their big competitors, for all their savvy and economies of scale, can't devote as much attention."
• They "make themselves distinctive, in fact and in image, to appeal to customers who see themselves as independent thinkers and yearn to shop outside the big box."
• "They provide convenience and friendly, well-informed service, often along with an element of theater (like a Florida appliance store that encourages customers to bring in their laundry and do a load in one of the washing machines)."

Bob Phibbs, a retail consultant from Long Beach, Calif., put it this way: "People want to support independents. You just need to give them a better reason." 

Sincerely,

Stephanie K. De Long
Editor-in-Chief

P.S. Don't forget to read this month's Seiko-sponsored CE course for opticians on Titanium: The Eyewear Solution.