BUYER’S FORUM

Growing into Children’s Optical

Seeing an unmet niche inspires Danielle Crull to focus on kids’ eyewear

an optician since 1988, Danielle Crull, ABOM, opened A Child’s Eyes in 2002 in Mechanicsburg, PA, with the purpose of creating a child-friendly environment with a huge selection of glasses just for kids in an atmosphere where families can come and support one another. A Child’s Eyes has expanded to include another location, but Crull maintains her commitment to the youngest patients.

eb: How did you decide to specialize in children’s eyewear?

dc: I realized pretty quickly that fitting children is completely different from fitting adults. Trying to fit less than 10% of the population of glasses wearers in an office that services all eyeglass wearers left me frustrated as an optician. First, the offices were not set up to handle children (full of glass and non-touchables) and, second, there was so little a selection of children’s frames that, as an optician, I felt like I was always doing the “best I could with what I had to work with.” This prompted me to open a store with kids as the primary focus.

HOT STUFF

When asked what she sees as the biggest trends for kids’ eyewear, Danielle Crull, ABOM, notes:

“You can always watch adult eyewear for trending shapes, but it’s the cute, colorful, and camo colors that make the difference for kids.

“Kids love looking like moms and dads, but cooler. Some of my favorite toddler frames come from the Clearvision Dilli Dalli line (you can find things like flowers, frogs, and cars).

“I love the depth of the DB4K line from Europa International. They have some awesome colors and designs, the right mix for a little bit older child.

“Girls love flowers and Kenmark’s Lilly Pulitzer line (shown) is like putting a garden in your display!

“You can’t pass up REM Eyewear’s Converse line for the sporty look!”

eb: What are your challenges in finding inventory?

dc: The biggest challenge in inventory for children is finding companies that are dedicated to children’s eyecare and vision needs. Most companies will offer a children’s line just to hit the market, but have little idea about what is necessary for fitting these frames. They need to be durable, have smaller temple lengths, and be wrapped in kid appeal! So I find myself spending a lot of time seeing different companies and trying to fill my boards with quality frames that are unique and can be fit well. Kids want to have unique styles just like adults, so I am constantly on the hunt for something that stands out and is a lot of fun.

I inventory my frames by size; this way when a child comes in I can get a feel for their size and direct them to a specific area. This eliminates children from getting their hearts set on something that simply will not fit.

eb: What are your best business moments?

dc: Often parents come in with their child who is a first-time eyeglass wearer and think they are going to get something that “blends in and is not noticeable.” But once you get kids trying on some fun colors, they realize that the glasses are an extension of their personality. I know we hit it just right when the parents tell me they can’t get through the grocery store without at least someone commenting on how cool or cute their child looks in their glasses! Even better is when they ask, “Where did you get those adorable glasses?” Those kinds of reactions fill our kids with confidence and go a long way in helping them wear their new specs.