Why Should I Create My Own Eyewear Brand?
As an owner of an independent optical I feel like there is no more important brand than your own. Sure, you may carry any number of either name brands like Oakley, Ray Ban, Prada, etc. or a vast collection of beautiful independent collections like LA Eyeworks, Jacques Marie Mage, Garrett Leight, etc. or a combination of the two. But is that really why your loyal clientele come back? I’m willing to bet the largest part of why they come back rather than choosing a different eyecare provider is because they enjoy dealing with you and your team. That’s one thing they can’t get anywhere else and your main differentiating factor. I mean, sure, they probably enjoy a curated collection of unique eyewear to choose from, but the service they get from you is something they can’t find elsewhere.
There are more than a few reasons as to why you should explore creating your own brand. But a few of the most important in my opinion are listed below. As well as a few options that you have at your disposal to accomplish this.
Big Brands Compete Against You
Big brands owned by companies like Luxottica, Marchon, Safilo, Marcolin, etc. are competing directly against you. So why should you sell their products? The one benefit being brand recognition but is it truly worth it? If you’ve been in the eyecare industry for more than a few months you’re probably aware of the vertical integration that’s plagued our industry. A handful of companies own insurance companies, popular frame brands, and wholesale labs that they require/incentivize you to use. And on top of that they also own retail stores all over the world. So how is this really any different than paying your competitor down the street?
It’s time to offer a quality product that can’t be found anywhere else. And sell your brand as the reason people deal with you. Whether you accomplish this through private label and pick ready made styles or design your own collection to truly build a brand around. Either solution is better than selling the brand that’s owned by a direct competitor. This isn’t to say there isn’t any benefit to having some recognizable names in your optical, but the further you can separate yourself, the more you successful you can be.
Better Margins
We’re all in business to make money. But there is more value to give and money to be made whenever you can cut out a middle man. In this case the corporate companies are your middle man. Some own their own factories and others are contracting with factories all over the world. Whatever the case may be, there is a markup being passed on to you. For small independent opticals it’s always been difficult to deal directly with factories. You don’t have as much buying power. They require minimums that are unrealistic for a small business. And in the end the cost of having to take on so many pieces of inventory becomes nearly impossible. That’s where we come in, we made a conscious effort to use equipment that doesn’t require specific tooling for each frame which lessens the need to require unrealistic minimums but allows us to keep your pricing low when compared to other luxury brands.
Creative Control
Creating your own line gives you the ability to control what styles you have. Any experienced buyer can tell you of a situation where they find a frame they love but wish it had a smaller bridge, larger lugs/extensions, or came in a different color. That’s the beauty of creating your own line, you get a say in all of the details. Everything from the colorways you offer, the complex fits you can now take care of, and the perfect stylings to compliment your store. And we are here every step of the way to walk you through it and help you prototype before you go to production.
Quality Control
With your own line you get to choose your components and the materials you would like to offer. You can go as high end as one could want with custom acetates and Japanese or European hardware. Or you can create a budget conscious line using Chinese hardware and acetate as well as meet somewhere in the middle. The choice is truly up to you and how you want it to fit your clientele and into your existing offering. I always say that if my name is going on it then it better feel and wear like a premium product but that’s the beauty of it, you can use your brand to fill any niche you want.
There’s No Reason Not To
We have worked to make this as accessible as possible. It seems like every time we talk to an Optician, they mention how much they’ve always wanted to design their own glasses. So now we have stepped in to create a program where you get to offer eyewear that you designed and it was made in the USA with the highest end materials available.
