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Eyecare Business

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Last Word

By: ERINN MORGAN
Eyecare Business June 1, 2005

HANDS ON - Last Word
Kids' Stuff
by Erinn Morgan

This month, ECPs tell us about their cutest and funniest experiences with youngsters in the dispensary.

We had a young lady come in who was about seven. She got eyeglasses and seemed OK with them at first. But the glasses got lost. So, her parents bought another pair.

She had those for a week, and she lost them. They bought a third pair, which she also lost.

That weekend, the parents had a slumber party for the girl and her friends. They offered a $20 reward to anyone who found a pair of her glasses.

The little girl ran upstairs, came down with all three pairs, and asked for the $60.

At least she has two backup pairs now.

— Paul Zinser, optician, Physicians Optical, Dublin, Ohio

One of our funniest stories was when a little six-year-old came in with his glasses smashed. When I asked him what happened, he said, "I ran into a wall because I was looking at girls."

I thought to myself, he's only six, and then I turned to his mom and said, "You are in trouble!"

— Debbi Cohen, optician, Pediatric Eyecare, d/b/a Kid's Specs,
Overland Park, Kans.

 

One child brought a pair of glasses in to us and they were flattened. They were in a straight line from temple to lens to temple—it was all pointing in a straight line, just like a ruler.

We never did figure out how it happened—and the kid wasn't telling!

— Dawn Parrish, optician, Pediatric Eyewear, Murraysville, Pa.

 

If you have stories to share or topics you'd like to see us address, send an E-mail to editor@eyecarebusiness.com

 

minor power
They may be small, but they pack a punch at retail. In 2000, children ages 12 and under directly or indirectly influenced household spending of over $600 billion, which is why marketers target these decision-influencers.

In 1990, $100 million was spent specifically on advertising to children in the U.S. By 2000, that figure increased to $2 billion. Here, a few facts to ponder about kids:

  • According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, parents with incomes of $38,000 to $64,000 will spend $165,630 on everything their child needs through age 18.
  • The same agency says that this group of parents will spend $18,510 on miscellaneous items for the average child from birth through age 18. This includes spending on entertainment, reading materials, summer camps, and various types of lessons.
  • Children see an average of 40,000 television ads a year, according to the Handbook of Children and the Media.
  • Children can begin to distinguish brands as early as their preschool years. In fact, six-month-old babies can visualize corporate logos and mascots, according to the Center for a New American Dream. Brand loyalty begins as early as age two, and the average three-year-old can recognize 100 brand logos.
  • Kids ages five to eight account for 41 percent of licensed character and entertainment merchandise sales in the U.S. and Canada.
  • In 2000, kids ages 12 and under spent close to $30 billion of their own money.

 

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