The 20/20 Editorial Team

James J. Spina
VP, Editor-in-Chief

Jacqueline Micucci
Executive Editor

Gloria Nicola
Senior Features Editor

Andy Karp
Group Editor, Lenses and Technology

Melissa Arkin
Assistant Editor

Lauren Taylor
Editorial Assistant

11/15/2007 Big Box vs. Mom and Pops
Posted by 20/20&U Blog Admin
Location: Blogs2020&U
 		    
“Do you know if you have the new Eagles CD?”
“This store’s got no pet department.”   
“No, it’s a new double CD by the Eagles… a group… from California… they have an exclusive deal with this store… it’s the only place you can buy it… it’s the reason I came shopping here today.”
“What? You looking for music? We got the new 50 Cent.”
“Well, I was specifically looking for this new Eagles CD. Not just music in general.”
“How do you spell it?”
“The normal way: E-A-G-L-…”
“Did you look at the ‘Es’?”
“Yes, but it’s not there.”
“Maybe you want what’s there?”
“No. I’m just looking for a very specific new album.”
“We don’t sell albums here. Only CDs. Ask them in customer service. Maybe they have something you want.”

I know. I know. I should have stopped as soon as he told me they don’t sell eagles as pets there. It’s just that I have this convoluted theory. I keep telling myself that sometime around the bi-centennial birthday of America the whole country decided to basically give up most forms of manufacturing and embrace the concept of “service” as the new American bounty

I want to believe that with all my heart. In fact, I see it demonstrated on precious instances when I can take a break from buying in big-box stores and head for the local (but dwindling) mom-and-pops shops. (Shopping in small, local hobby shops to feed my son’s passion for Lionel toy trains has been so amazingly service AND product satisfying.)

Hmmm. Mom-and-pop shops. Independent eyecare professionals and retailers. Polished, professional and personalized service pushed to the extreme. Could we be eyeing the ultimate fair advantage?

Can the lessons and legacy for enriching the battered concept of America as a service-oriented entity be spiritually etched right on the doormat of YOUR eyecare establishment? Could the way YOU face that challenge become an ultimate formula for success? Now if we could only convince the Eagles that independent eyewear retailers might be the perfect environment for that new Eagles CD.

Then again, on its first release week the new Eagles CD went straight to number one in record sales of over 700,000. BUT...I haven’t heard of any strong sales for bald eagles in big-box pet departments. Go figure.


—James J. Spina, 20/20 Editor in chief
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Comments (1)   Add Comment
Re: Big Box vs. Mom and Pops
By Barry Santini		 11/20/2007
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Let me turn this one on its head to make my point: The reason "mom & pops" neigborhood eyewear establishments HAVE NOT taken advantage of their "unfair advantage" is that, in general, they still think of eyewear as a medical, need-based product. Mom & pops let their business approach (taking insurance, giving discounts, free exams, etc.) continued to be steered by the premise that the public doesn't want eyewear, and so they only wish to pay the least amount for it.

I say let the big-boxes, chains, and other discounters pander to the (allbeit good) percentage of the public that will never (in the forseeable future), ever see eyewear as anything other than a need-based commodity.

Excellence in skills, both hard (technical) and soft (sales/social) is a pre-requisite for any neighboorhood business to survive the intensification of competition these days, and eyewear stores are no exception. Although eyewear may be too complicated for just a "clerk" to master, neither is it so technical that only *medical professionals* (or dispensers with licenses) are needed to ensure a proper delivery system. Certainly computer trouble-shooting and programming pose far more of a skill challenge than dispensing eyewear, yet none of the people in these technical fields require licenses...only skills!

Neighborhood dispensaries, IMHO, can only take full advantage of their *unfair advantage* by continuing to ply their best skills, and also always remain ready to learna "new trick" or two.

Challenge yourself tomorrow to approach eyewear *not* as a need, but as a want. Then you'll show your competition what an "unfair advantage" really is!

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