BUYER’S FORUM

A Whole New Board

What’s next for your frame boards? It may just be time for a fresh take on frames

The frame game is changing, and this is a great time to take a good, hard look at your frame boards to see if they’re ready to take you where you want to go.

These are the days to clear out what doesn’t fit your practice and clear the decks for a fresh new crop of product that will move your patients to buy.

BUYER’S OUTLOOK

This month we spoke with Addie Bogart, a licensed dispensing optician at Boys Smith Vision Center in Ellensburg, WA, about her plans for 2014 and how her frame boards will change in the months to come.

Q: What product category do you have the highest hopes for on the boards this year?

A: I’m excited to see that the biggest trend happening in frames is wood. Custom, colorful designs are very appealing. The fact that it’s a renewable source, stylish, and still relatively rare is appealing to consumers. Customers will be able to tell their friends and family what they have is made just for them and there isn’t another one like it. There are many new companies like Feb31st presenting wooden choices for frames.

Q: What product category do you predict will be a more challenging sale this year?

A: Personally, I’ve seen the decline in completely rimless eyewear. My customers now buy a lightweight titanium frame with no screws that have more style and color.

Q: How do you see your inventory changing?

A: Excellent timing for this question! My inventory is going through huge changes! I’ve been in the process of rebuilding my inventory and changing a majority of it to independent companies. Companies like MASUNAGA, Zero G, OGI, Etnia Barcelona have been taking the place of branded eyewear.

I’m looking forward to working with many new frame lines in the next year. My customers will know they are not paying for the name, but rather the quality and design of the materials and the artisanal craft of the products. Educating customers is the key difference here. They can also be assured they won’t run into the same frame on their friend’s face next week.

Changing our inventory has helped differentiate us from our other local competition. Knowing we are providing a better-quality product and not just selling the name goes hand in hand with the integrity we have built in our small community.

Want to talk about what gives your frame buying flair? Please email executive editor Amy Spiezio, Amy.Spiezio@PentaVisionMedia.com