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Essilor’s acquisition of two major independent optometry groups in the past eight months, Vision Source and PERC/IVA, is evidence of its new, more assertive stance in an increasingly competitive segment of the vision care market. Although some industry observers have voiced concerns that the purchase of independent optometry groups by one of the industry’s largest suppliers will limit the groups’ autonomy, Essilor executives said the company is simply strengthening its longstanding support for independent ODs.

“Our relationships with Vision Source, PERC and IVA are only one of the ways we’re helping independent ECPs,” said Daniel Liberman, senior vice president, strategic initiatives, for Essilor of America. “Our fundamental notion around these relationships is that these organizations are advocates for their members. They’re working to help them be more successful in running their business, getting cost of goods savings and driving patients into their office.

“Our role is to encourage them to continue to do so, and to look at ways where there may be synergies for us to help accelerate some of their plans. We can offer either infrastructural support from a supply chain perspective or otherwise, and help them move faster in the marketplace than they were able to do in the past.”

According to Liberman, Essilor actually maintains two separate relationships with each OD group. “One is an extended partner relationship, which is similar to what we’ve done with partner labs, where we make an investment but we let management run the organization, with us having review of what they’re doing and making sure they’re staying consistent with their goals.”

As an extended partner, Essilor focuses on leveraging its resources such as IT, logistics or marketing to support each of the alliances in delivering programs their respective members want. Examples of this approach can be seen with PERC/IVA’s Advantage frame program and with a new frame program that Essilor is developing with Vision Source. Both programs leverage Essilor resources, but differ based upon feedback from the members of each group.

As Liberman explained, “PERC built an innovative website for its Advantage program so members can purchase frames from a curated selection of certain brands that are exclusive to PERC members in the U.S. They had launched the program before we extended our partnership with them. Now we are supporting it through Essilor’s distribution and warehouses. Also, we’ve added some functionality, which was what they were looking for.

“Vision Source’s approach, which is being developed with our support, works all the way from within the practice and helps the practice decide what’s in the assortment, and works on merchandising, all the way back through the supply chain.”

The other relationship Essilor maintains with PERC, IVA and Vision Source is as a preferred or elite vendor. “Separately and simultaneously, as a vendor, Essilor must continue to win the members’ business by delivering the types of products and preferred pricing each individual member needs and wants from us,” Liberman noted.

If, at some point, the members of each OD group decide to share programs, Liberman said Essilor would facilitate the transition. “But, for the time being, we want each to continue to strongly represent the interests of their members. We don’t want to breed any actual or perceived notion that they’re coming together as an organization,” he said.

—Andrew Karp