WHAT'S NEW - Buyer's Forum
Extravagance for Everyone

The face of the luxury market is changing. Instead of "cocooning"--hoarding material things for the sake of pleasure--consumers are looking for the shopping experience to bring satisfaction.

This service trend particularly applies to eyewear, where customers are looking to their ECPs for style advice, technological information, and medical support. Good customer service is the cornerstone of a luxury sale--and this special treatment should not just be saved for your best customers.

Today, the luxe look has become mainstream. Everyone wants a piece of the good life, and vendors have delivered. Faux fur, imitation leather, and rhinestones are just a few of the ways in which designers make decadence available to everyone. The eyewear market is no exception. Several high-end brands have invented bridge lines to provide a lower-priced luxury option to consumers.

Remember that your bridge brand buyers today may be tomorrow's luxury brand loyalists. And, even if customers cannot afford the top of the line brand, they still want a top-of-the-line experience.

Joanne F. Schell
Senior Editor, Frames