A final note on 2007: optical and eyewear sales held strong, the consumer appeared to wake up to the increasingly appealing array of eyewear styles and brands, new technologies propelled categories like contact lenses and the number of eye exams increased.
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Marge Axelrad
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But underneath the incredibly iportant goals of helping people see better, look good, and lead more productive lives through professional eyecare and astute retailing, business challenges continue to require all players in the industry to assess their positions and re-examine their tactics.
We’ve all seen news headlines in the last few months that spark some jitters. The subprime credit situation, a skittishness about interest rates and economic concerns about consumer spending levels, the impact of the pending Presidential election. This has been far removed from the pace of optical sales.
But those issues, along with the consumers’ changing attitudes and the cost of money for expansion and reinvestment, make it more imperative than ever for optical retailers to run their businesses tighter and smarter.
First, remember that those independents and regional chains who have re-determined their market positions and invested in systems and technologies to operate their businesses more efficiently are faring best right now. If you’ve done this, good for you and keep at it. If you haven’t reconsidered what you’re doing in terms of systems overhauls and buying smarter, there’s no other thing to say than: get to it. It is as important as the eyecare element of your practice.
We talk about ‘brands’ and some people think the term only applies to the newest designer label. But the brand of ‘you’ and your practice is a quantifiable asset today, where people and patients are busy and are in command of the choices they make. It’s a necessary survival skill to make sure your brand is really communicating to your customers and patients.
The ability to really make that happen is tied to the internal tactics you use to keep things running smoothly and more profitably. Those will be important watchwords in 2008.
From all of us at Vision Monday, our sincere best wishes for a Happy Holiday and prosperous New Year. ■
