The year that has gone by has taught us a lot. From embracing the new norms of masking, social distancing and sanitising to the accelerated digitisation, the pandemic has a lot of positives. All we need to do is widen our perspective. Even in the case of optical trade, the business has been impacted. But things are finally looking up as the world slowly begins its return to normalcy. Eyewear retailers across the country are getting ready to welcome the post-pandemic customer. Let’s take a look at the changing dynamics in an optician’s store. 

The New Customer 

Your post-pandemic customer is very different. He / She wants a shorter yet fruitful shopping experience. Even eyewear seems to be evolving – from a health requirement to a fashion accessory and even protective equipment now. After all, the lockdown, prevailing uncertainty and focus on health have reshaped the customer behaviour. However, opticians need not worry. The eyewear distributors are empathetic to the new normal and are stepping up their game to support

the opticians. From virtual tryouts to online appointment booking apps, the distributors are helping opticians to get accustomed to this new normal. Some brands like Safilo are also investing in marketing campaigns to help build trust and confidence in customers to shop at stores. 

The Opticians’ Focus 

For eyewear retailers, the sole focus should be on giving their customers the best possible shopping experience. And here is how you can do it: 

• Familiarise yourself with the safety protocols that are the new focus area in the post covid era
• Do not hesitate to take questions from the customer. You have to address their concerns to fuel their confidence in the in-store purchase
• Take feedback and criticism positively. Remember this new scenario is a learning opportunity
• Seek support from eyewear distributors. They have various programmes and initiatives specifically designed to help opticians accustom themselves to the new normal

Optical Business Is Set To Grow

The key challenge that every other retail business is facing, is getting the customer to visit the store. Despite the mushrooming of online stores, touch-feel remain a pertinent part of eyewear purchasing. This ensures that a steady footfall of serious buyers is continued for optical retailers. 

Roy Rana, Sales Head-Wholesale and Distribution, Safilo says, “Eyewear business is a semi-essential category, the recovery for this sector is expected to be much faster. The category may start with mid or low price points, but soon it will touch the high price points within a month or two. On an absolute value, the recovery may start slow, but we can expect to reach 70% of what it was in 2019 by August 2021.” 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 2.2 Billion people are suffering from eye blindness and vision impairment. A similar number of people across the globe suffer from vision impairment. So clearly, the requirement for eyewear will not go down. All of this puts the optical trade on the front foot for recovery and opticians have a lot of growth avenues to explore in this new era.

“It was also important to create a connection between the eyewear and the collection: the key piece is the beach towel, where the lens shapes of the two sunglasses were the inspiration for the design. The organic shapes of the towel contrast with the striped look used on the oversized beach bag, bathrobe and shirt. The terry bathrobe and shirt both feature a lapel collar and are made of intricately woven fabric in a double face look. The collection is completed with a bucket hat and a matching glasses case, also made of terry cloth.” states the press release from the company.

The two sunglasses are named LINDA (port. “the beautiful”) and AMADO (port. “the beloved”) and each comes in two colours. LINDA is a feminine reinterpretation of a geometric cat-eye shape, AMADO an angular oversized frame. Similar to stones polished round by wind and water over time, the designs play with completely rounded corners and details on the front and temples. The colours are inspired by the coast of Portugal: a light blue Havana, an exclusive in-house creation by ANDY WOLF, stands for the sea. Symbolic of the rising sun is the second version in red-brown Havana, in which the two-tone lens does not run vertically as usual, but horizontally from brown to light blue.

The glasses are limited to 300 pieces per colour and style worldwide. Each pair of glasses is available in a case and towel set. Both companies stand for sustainability and local production, so it was especially important that the glasses and towels are 100% made in Austria.

In order to also meet the social responsibility for people and nature, both labels decided to start a special upcycling project. Towles in yellow and brown get a 2nd chance and are reworked by the institution “Jugend am Werk” to stylish scrunchies. This is how the 90s come back to life!

The collection will be available from May 01, 2021 in the online store of Vossen www.vossen.com and ANDY WOLF www.andy-wolf.com as well as from selected partners.

Bettina Reiter, Exhibition Director of OPTI, the international trade show for optics and design, along with Klaus Plaschka, managing director of GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH, in their capacity as organisers, revealed in an interview why in the future, trade fairs will be more important than ever, what the industry can expect from OPTI 2022 and why the venue in Munich will be a business booster.

“We are planning a live event that will be augmented by digital offerings, both in the run-up to and during and after the trade show that will provide the intensive interaction that the industry urgently needs.” – Bettina Reiter, Exhibition Director OPTI

“Our core business is to bring people together and this will continue to be a key focus for our future activities. However, we no longer singularly see ourselves as a provider of stand space that allows exhibitors to put on a presentation but as the conductor of a multifaceted orchestra.” – Klaus Plaschka, Managing Director GHM.

The discussion aims to deliberate on women and the most prevalent eye health issues among them, barriers to access eye health care services, and the economic and social benefits a pair of spectacles will bring. It will discuss ways to raise awareness of the importance of vision among women.

This is being held on 16th April 2021 and is open to Retail and other Eyecare Professionals, Optometry Students and others who are interested.

“The new Agility Autodeblocker completes our automated post-polishing product offering. When combined with our Duality De-Taper & Cleaner, and our award-winning Velocity Lens Coater, our customers can fully automate the post-polishing process,” explains Coburn Technologies President Alex Incera. “Lenses can be deblocked, de-taped, cleaned and coated in minutes without operator involvement”.

Agility is ideal for high volume labs that prefer a convenient automated solution. Both lenses are automatically removed from a job tray, placed onto the appropriate deblocking rings, and then deblocked simultaneously using mechanical action. Contrary to deblocking with powerful water jets that displace alloy, causes alloy waste, and produce contaminated water waste, Agility separates the lens from the block, without water, in one clean, swift, mechanical action.

“The name ‘Agility’ embodies our goals for the capabilities of the machine; rapidity, resilience and boldness” Alex Incera explains. The technology is also versatile in its ability to process a wide range of lens geometries and ring diameters. Agility is both UL and CE certified.

Panellists at the India Vision Institute (IVI)-VisionPlus Magazine hosted ‘Spectacles for Every Indian – Making it a Reality’ panel discussion on March 22 shared their knowledge and ideas in a thought-provoking and stimulating discussion that covered numerous aspects, including accessibility, affordability, awareness, the need for advocacy to encourage government intervention, and the way forward to ensure that every Indian who needs a pair of spectacles will have it.

Pratik & Sagar Doshi, Directors of Stepper Eyewear and the sons of the dynamic Kirit Doshi, played perfect hosts as they presented all the latest collections of the famous global and booked orders. This event was attended by a large group of opticians from Delhi who all came together to gain a better understanding of the brand.

“Stepper stays true to its original concept, ‘Creating Fashion that fits’ The premium eyewear brand funded by Hans Stepper in 1970 has been unwavering in its dedication to the highest quality, advanced technology and ongoing innovation. The company’s highly skilled frame designers create up to 150 new styles every year, which are available in over 60 countries,” said Sagar Doshi. 

Exciting new styles from STEPPER as well as innovative contemporary classics from STEPPER were launched. STEPPER also launched STS-30046, an answer to how much fun can one have with glasses on. STS-30046 is a fresh take on the classic panto shape, the keyhole bridge gives a hint at the professional origins of STEPPERS as much as it adds character to the design. Colour variations offer crystal and opaque fronts with an on-trend ‘skeleton’ outline found on selected models. Part of the fun is choosing a colour that is ‘more you’ whilst discovering the relative weightlessness (6.6g) and sublime comfort as you try on such a fashionable frame. 

The appeal of STEPPER lies in their ‘lightweight’ approach to comfort, fashion and price.

This intervention follows the actions taken in Italy in 2020, which involved the closure of the Martignacco production site and the reorganization of the Longarone site, which is still ongoing. The already complex situation of the Ormož site in terms of reduction of volumes – due to the termination of the licensing agreements for major brands and the ever-growing trend towards acetate products, a material appreciated by optical customers and consumers for its quality and prestige – has been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic and has led to structural imbalances which are not sustainable for the years to come.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned closure would be consistent with the Group’s business objectives aimed at optimizing and improving the efficiency of its manufacturing footprint. The Group confirms the opening of a discussion table with the Trade Unions and institutions to
identify all possible solutions in order to mitigate any social impacts of this painful scenario.

This sophisticated frame fuses modern finishes with a 1980’s inspired aesthetic. Details on the thick temples highlight the emblem of the French Maison, the mother and child gold plaque. The emblem represents the special bond between Jeanne Lanvin and her daughter, Marguerite, and is featured in jewellery, accessories and ready-to-wear items in the Lanvin collection.

Part of the Yu Garden collection, the frame explores the exchange between heritage and contemporary, using the past to invent the future. The collection reexamines the legacy of the Maison, its design archives and transcends Lanvin’s ideological meaning.

A Lanvin eyewear chain attaches to the hollowed tips, adding a luxe feel to the bold, oversized silhouette. This is available in Black, Tortoiseshell, Green/Havana Green and Striped Red.

Sofia Richie is an American social media personality, model, and fashion designer. She has been featured in campaigns by a number of major brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, and Miminipi. She is the youngest daughter of singer Lionel Richie and adoptive half-sister of television personality Nicole Richie.

She smartly also paid a loving tribute to her father wearing an All Night Long – Limited Edition T-shirt with a multicoloured ‘Lionel Richie’ lettering and graphic.

She also paired it with a wool shawl lapel coat by Anouki in a yellow mustard colour. This wool coat was an oversized longline coat is designed with a shawl collar, dual seam pockets, long sleeves with a slim-fitting silhouette, and buttons at the front. She also wore the five-pocket style flare skinny jeans in charcoal by Balenciaga. She completed her look with the ultra-comfortable Chelsea Leather boots by Gianvito Rossi.
She also carried a black mini Amber leather shoulder bag from By Far.

Sofia also kept her makeup neutral & her blonde hair to be free-flowing.