BUSINESS
merchandising
Expert Advice on Your Optical
Consider these “outside” tips from a frame company’s marketing team.
GINA M. WESLEY, O.D., M.S., F.A.A.O.
Taking a step back and analyzing your optical can be difficult when you are the “insider.” This month’s column features advice on your optical from the Luxottica team of Holly Rush, Danielle Martinetti and Milena Cavicchioli.
Q What top three items are most important when “creating” your optical displays/layout and/or overall look in the optical?
A: First, make sure your dispensary conveys a powerful message about your own “brand,” and ensure it’s designed to attract the attention of the customer you are targeting. This includes the aesthetics, layout and feel of the displays, staff, every last detail. It’s the art of retailing; your calling card. You want to make sure that what you say about your practice in the dispensary is similar to the quality of care you provide in your exam room.
Second, design your dispensary with a “flow.” Retailing is a science. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. This is your opportunity to entice and attract your customer. Lure the consumer in, make them dream, show them how frames fit within their lifestyle or express their personal style. Beyond branding and product, think about how displays tell a story and create a visual conversation with the consumer.
Last, pay attention to your frame boards. Make sure the brands/assortment and overall selection you offer creates impact. Are you trying to attract an upscale consumer? Make sure that the inventory you have on hand conveys that message, and devote the majority of your boards accordingly. Under-penetrated in sunwear? Designate a sun center with a minimum of 30% of your inventory to top-selling brands to attract attention and convey to your customers that you have a broad selection of prescription and plano styles. Brands are a really important part of this equation, and less is more. Studies show, on average, a practice has 50 brands on display with fewer than 20 SKUs each. That can be incredibly overwhelming for a consumer. Reduce the number of brands, but go much deeper on each to send a far more powerful message. Sales will increase and so will customer satisfaction.
Q What do you think are the more common mistakes made in optical displays/merchandising?
A: There is a tendency, particularly in window displays, to showcase every brand that’s carried in the store. While consumers love variety, putting all brands on display can appear disorganized and be visually unappealing. Customers will ignore it and walk away. Focus instead on a single brand message or a trend story, always thinking about balance and the story being told.
Q How would one go about changing their optical without necessarily having a major overhaul or remodel?
A: Big changes can be made with small efforts. Start with a point of view, and have that message lead the creative process. A color trend story can be created by showcasing key optical brands with blue frames. Or, use assets provided by the brands that you carry. Their assets are designed to tell a brand story that’s targeting the consumer and is often repeated in advertising. So, it’s easily recognizable by the consumer.
Changing the lighting can create ambience. The same goes for carpeting and a fresh coat of paint. Little things go a long way to entice the customer, and these days your customer will notice!
Q What are your recommendations for the ongoing management of optical merchandising? For instance, how often should an optical “change things up?”
A: Merchandising should be fresh, especially the window displays, so that the consumer is engaged. Have fun with it, and keep an open mind. Look at your neighbors and department stores, think about what catches your eye and why.
If the merchandising isn’t working, tweak it, change it. The same goes for your frame supply: If you take best practices from fashion retailing, success comes from having a core assortment of best sellers that comprises up to 60% of your inventory. This is the engine of the machine; the mechanism that “pays the bills.”
The balance of your assortment should be “newness” that captures the latest trend in materials, colors, styles and shapes. This conveys a message to your clients that your optical reflects the latest happenings and that there’s no reason to go anywhere else. OM
DR. WESLEY PRACTICES AT COMPLETE EYE CARE OF MEDINA, WHICH SHE OPENED IN 2008. SHE WAS HONORED AS MINNESOTA’S OPTOMETRIST OF THE YEAR IN 2011. E-MAIL DRWESLEY@CECOFMEDINA.COM, OR SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.
