Sure you can find fashionable reading glass frames at Vision Expo East, but that’s a small part of this “event of the year in” the designer eyewear industry, and this year brought as many new exciting designer frames from the major brands and boutique labels alike. In addition to exciting new frame designs there was a surge of lightweight glasses made with titanium and other innovative materials creating the lightest and strongest glasses to date. Of course technology and education are always a major part of the show and this year there was a really exciting day long seminar on interacting with your customers and providing them the best service possible.
Eye Wear and Eye Care Customers to Benefit from Research
Vision Monday worked with leaders in the science of customer behavior who used data to analyze and predict what customers wanting in retail and health care for eyewear. These insights were shared in a full day master class to attendees of the Global Leadership Summit. One trend presented was something new to the eyewear industry (data for money), where customers are incentivized to provide data that can be used to provide a wealth of new opportunities in marketing. This is just one of a few ways that technology and retail are changing the customer experience with the optical shop. More direct relationships with health care providers, online eyeglass frame shopping and partnering with other optical resources are some of the other ways that customer are going digital.
Eye Care Technology Advances
Changes to insurance and health coverage are happening at a rapid pace, spurred by CVS acquiring the massive insurance company Aetna. CVS is reframing the relationship with the patient and the pharmacy, working towards creating a more holistic health experience for the modern customer.
In the technology sector leave it to Essilor to launch another ground breaking product with the Advanced Vision Accuracy or AVA. The base of the system is the Vision-R 800, a machine that improves accuracy in the exam and the resulting prescription to within 1-100th of a diopter. With the new optical module that gives the practitioner exact refraction and instant focus giving the patient the best vision possible with precise lenses and visual acuity.
Another big name in the industry Zeiss Vision has partnered with Sunscreener to create a device that lets eye care professionals demonstrate to patients how much UV protection their glasses offer in real time. The hand held table device known as the C-UV400 shows the patient exactly how much their glasses protect their eyes from harmful UV light waves. This technology serves a critical function in the industry to help eye care professionals to evaluate and improve the protection of their patients eyes from their glasses.
These are just a few of the exciting things we were able to learn and experience at this years Vision Expo East, and once again the show has proven that it continues to be the event for the entire optical industry to join together under one roof to learn, network and hold meetings that allow them to better serve their customers and grow their business. Check back in a few days to learn about exciting new trends in frame designs!
Jerry Willis is the owner of Lumen Eyewear and the computer glasses and reading glasses brand Visualites. Jerry has years of experience in eyewear frame and lens design and manufacturing of eyewear and is a member of the Vision Council of the United States of America. Lumen Eyewear is also a FDA licensed manufacturer and importer of reading glasses and computer glasses. Visualites is dedicated to bringing its customers products that not only improve their vision but the health of their eyes.
