In the year since our first memory metal special supplement the category has exploded with excitement, innovation and commitment. Due to their tech-talent and evolving style these space-age frames cannot be ignored by any dispenser truly committed to delivering the best in quality eyecare/eyewear products. That said, there are some amazing things you are about to discover about the multifaceted world of flexible frames. These words are just a quick recap of the detailed specifics you will discover in the realm of a metal that certainly earns its status as a “miracle.”

Technically Speaking—

The world is HIGH on technology these days. Have you “greened” in a hybrid car? Is your iPod deep-tracking in your ear? How is the definition on that huge wide screen dominating your living room? That same mod-zest-quest for tech is here and it goes under the moniker of memory metal frames. This is the modern world and nothing says “now” better than a super-tech frame on someone’s face.

Have a Fit—

In countless discussions with dispensers the power of a proper fit session and follow-through usually makes the biggest difference between a one-time sell and a long-lasting satisfied patient. The formula for that positive position is a keenly working partnership of the expert dispenser and the adaptability of the chosen frame. If the frame doesn’t fit perfectly the damage can be as severe as an improper Rx on the lens.

Style Council—

Consumers are certainly style savvy when it comes to the latest eyewear shapes and colors and how those factors relate to current fashion and lifestyle trends.

The Brand Boom—

Retailing thrives on brand-recognition these days. Designer brands are namedropped continually in successful marketing efforts to connect with every demographic segment of every product in the world. And the draw is not just fashion. Lifestyle names proliferate as key connections to assuring customer satisfaction and luring loyalty across a range of products.

Dollars and Sense—

Memory metal succeeds on pricing since the product delivers a three-pronged fix of tech, quality and style.

The multiple solutions offered by the growing range of eyewear frames using the elemental ingredients of memory metal address key issues facing optical retailers looking to satisfy the ever-increasing needs of their patients.

In a world where far too many of the promises of a bold, new future never came to pass it’s nice to field the satisfaction of a technological break-through initiated by the space-race of the ’60s and ’70s coming to fruition right on the frames on the faces of satisfied consumers.

The simplicity of dispensing a memory metal frame is perfectly matched to the complex solutions affording it such dazzling flex-ability. How perfect that a frame which “remembers” its shape can now become part of your collective memory when it comes to delivering the best possible frame for ALL of your patients.

Remember this: Memory Metal needs to be in YOUR present dispensing scenario and in the future of many of your patients.

—James J. Spina Editor-in-chief, 20/20