By Steven Indelicato

Optical practices should welcome the idea of selling high-end luxury eyewear. The bigger price tags do not necessarily scare customers away, but rather tend to lure them in. Yes, understanding your clientele, practice location, and market certainly is a huge factor in this endeavor. Providing luxury and high-end eyewear and services in your practice, however, means larger revenue and happier customers. The rewards in doing so for any optical establishment outweigh any risks and provide a superior store reputation.

Eye care professionals who take this route are interested in being different, and understand a simple, but important concept: quality over quantity. Luxury eyewear is made with beautiful high-end materials that customers are attracted to and admire. The luxury segment also has the latest styles and trends, which are critical to a customer’s fashion needs. They provide larger model collections, so customers have the option to browse the entire line to find their perfect pair. The feel of luxury frames compared to inexpensive frames is night and day. Customers will appreciate and value these differences and wear their frames proudly. They also value the price tag. The more expensive something is, the more people are likely to care for it. After all, have you ever seen a dirty Ferrari? Patients who invest in a luxury frame are more likely to include quality lenses and options. This means better profit for your practice. Additionally, luxury eyewear brands offer one or two-year warranties on frames. This is appealing to patients and differentiates your practice from the one down the street. Be different, not basic.

Consumers are proud after a pricey purchase; proud that their hard work has paid off and they can finally reward themselves. We have the power to do that by selling high-end eyewear, something that is noticeable almost immediately on a person’s face. Customers who do invest in such a purchase tend to use the product more. This results in free marketing for your optical practice when friends and even strangers ask where they got those beautiful glasses. Customers will return to your practice with a smile (instead of a complaint) and share stories of all the compliments they are receiving. For us eye care professionals, this is a very, very good feeling.

Luxury eyewear also motivates us as eye care professionals to stay on top of lens technology and enhancements. We are excited to provide the best optics for an expensive ophthalmic frame purchase. Patients who are willing to spend on luxury eyewear usually tend to spend on quality lens add-ons, such as anti-reflective coatings and photochromics. We should provide the complete eyewear package with the best the market has to offer. This will only result in better profits for your practice. Furthermore, selling luxury means looking the part. Optical stores should aspire to create office space to reflect the luxury brands showcased in their displays. This inspires us to have a cool, modern, and inviting establishment.
Offering high-end and luxury eyewear will only profit your business. The market is there, and consumers are willing to spend outside their usual comfort zone. The design and quality of the frame materials are exceptional and most offer warranties, a big plus for any customer. The luxury eyewear segment will create a loyal customer base who know they are getting the best quality with modern design, motivating us as eye care professionals to create the best possible total package.

Learn that understanding frames and their manufacture can significantly improve your average sell price and improve the number of quality frames sold with our CE, Why You Should Know How Frames are Made, at 2020mag.com/ce.