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To get into the mind of today’s consumers we spoke to some of the people who know them best, retailers across the U.S., to find out what qualities they possess that consumers love. There are many factors that come into play to create the perfect blend of ingredients that draws different groups of shoppers to Main Street. We zoned in on the following five traits that consumers seek in independents that set them apart from traditional big box retail stores.


Staying Plugged-In to Connect With Customers

Hicks Brunson Eyewear: Tulsa, Okla.

When marketing Hicks Brunson Eyewear, Daniel Brunson goes back to the beginning when his grandfather opened up shop in 1949 after purchasing the American Optical dispensary that he was managing at the time. Since then, Hicks Brunson’s mission has been to “give our clients enhanced confidence through the craft of opticianry,” he said.

Brunson described the atmosphere of the store as “warm and inviting” where frames come from brands such as Zero G, Face a Face, Tom Davies, Sama, Swiss Flex, Tom Ford, Maui Jim and Rudy Project. All are grouped by collection and each customer is welcomed to the shop with a tour. Sipping on water or coffee, each customer will learn about the independent eyewear lines that he carries and the designers behind them.

Along with this in-store customer experience, Hicks Brunson Eyewear utilizes the digital tools of the 21st Century to grow and maintain their independent business. Located in the Utica Square shopping center of Tulsa, Okla. in a relatively upscale location where the median age is early 40s, Hicks Brunson utilizes platforms such as Google Reviews, social media, email, a blog and YouTube along with its web store. Staying plugged in virtually has allowed Hicks Brunson to reach customers and maintain a voice in the area.

“I read recently that 90 percent of retail purchases still happen inside a brick-and-mortar store, but what consumers are doing is researching online before entering a store to make a purchase,” Brunson said. “I have found that having a well-designed and easy to navigate web store helps drive store sales.”

Additionally, they maintain a strong voice on social media. “We take full advantage of Instagram and Facebook to publish our original content. In our industry, we have a huge advantage on Instagram. Our product is small. It photographs well and can easily be transported. Our store is located in a beautiful shopping center with many picturesque locations for photographing frames.”

What really makes a difference is the melding together of all of these digital aspects to create a cohesive marketing tool that customers appreciate.

“On our blog, we write posts on a variety of topics including: company culture, lenses, style, celebrities in eyewear, frame reviews and holiday shopping guides. We then use email and social media to send out summaries of special blog posts that link back to our blog, which is connected to our web store,” Brunson said.

“The key is to add value by providing helpful information for free to build an audience. Once you have an audience who comes to you for guidance and insight, you will have a pool of potential clients.”


Community Involvement Means Feet on the Streets

Globe Design & Vision: Holland, Mich.

Be Curious...Have Vision is emblazoned above the black awning of Globe Design & Vision in Holland, Mich. The area, close to Grand Rapids and boasting 40,000 people, has been pretty reliant on small business, according to co-owner, Bob Schulze. “There was a vision of promoting a downtown,” Schulze said. “Business owners in the area wanted a city center and sought to cultivate a sense of community. What that did was promote owner operated business.”

Schulze is involved in Local First, an organization which is a subset of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). Local First (see page 42) provides support and sustainability to local, independent businesses through tools and resources. Local First emphasizes and supports the integral part independent businesses play in growing and sustaining the community.

“I look for different ways of advertising and community involvement. I’ve gotten involved in many things. I’ve been a board member of Park Theatre, a local theatre for 12 years and president for 10. A lot of people know me for my involvement,” Schulze said.

Along with this, Globe Design & Vision spearheaded the “I See a Hero” campaign which recognizes select members of the community through nomination who have demonstrated extraordinary kindness, patience, understanding, assistance and care in their daily life, setting a high standard of behavior. In addition, Globe Design & Vision hosted a “Casual Concert” series for the community during the summer of 2013 where a band a month was showcased over four months in collaboration with one of Schulze’s clients and his video company.

“If they’re in my store and if they’re on the street where my store is, they’re having a good experience. They just like to see the stores right next to each other. The people on the street seeing these non-chain stores linked together are surprised and intrigued by them. Here you only see one or two chain stores within three blocks. Instead, you see a high concentration of individual stores that are very unique. It’s a full, well-rounded community.”


It’s All About the Product and Creating an Atmosphere

Urban Optics: San Luis Obispo, Calif.

When entering Urban Optics located in San Luis Obispo, Calif. customers feel a relaxed and sophisticated but cool atmosphere. “All of the lighting is different than what you’d see in any kind of store. As you walk in, you look at our display and reception area and all of our office exam rooms are behind a curved wall made to replicate the outside of an eyeball,” Dave Schultz, OD, said. “We try to be different. We have a non-medical looking office, and we’re always up to date with equipment. Everything is electronic. We’re also more laid back and carry more unique products.”

There is a variety of eyewear at Urban Optics, including frames from l.a. Eyeworks, Face a Face, Vinylize, Blake Kuwahara, Jeremy Tarain, Garrett Leight (who used to work for them while he was in college), SALT, Bevel, Francis Klein, Barton Perreria, Dutz, Zero G, Toms Eyewear, Leisure Society, Shuron, Todd Rodgers, Paul Frank, SwissFlex, Maui Jim and Oakley.

“When you stay with independent lines, it’s like they’re your friends,” Schultz said. “It’s very different than working with the big names. It’s hard to form any relationships. We have relationships with all of the frame lines that we carry.

“Everyone is online and tuned in here. Students like the way it is and how it looks.” Urban Optics is nestled downtown on the main intersection of a predominantly college area. Schultz has been in town for 26 years and that specific location for 21 years, opening in the beginning of 1990. He credits his history in the area with how people know the Urban Optics name. “It’s really the length of time we’ve been here,” he said.


Location, Location, Location

Art Of Optiks: Lake Minnetonka, Minn.

Art of Optiks is located 11.5 miles outside of downtown Minneapolis, in Wayzata along the waterfront of Lake Minnetonka in what is considered “the last suburb” of Minneapolis. With a population of about 4,500 people and the average age being early 40s with children, the biggest key to success that Stephanie Haenes, co-owner of Art of Optiks is utilizing the practice’s location.

Some 15 years ago, Haenes, an optician and her husband Timothy Haupert, OD, opened their first practice and are now on their way to opening their second location. The most important thing for the both of them was being a community-based practice and finding the right location. “The community is getting younger,” she said. “Fifteen years ago, this was a pretty aged community. Now, the average age is early 40s with families.”

She said, “In smaller towns, people are walking around. It’s a meeting place. We always make sure signage is visible, and we change the displays in our huge front windows at least quarterly. The number one thing that people say when they come into the store is that they saw us when they were ‘just driving by.’”

Along with this, they make sure that there is a synergy between the medical side and the optical side. “We have a great general manager who brings everything together,” Haenes said. “On the tech/medical side we’ve got all the bells and whistles, and when customers come out front, they have a luxury eyewear experience. We really know where our products come from down to each part, meeting with designers and companies. So, we are able to give a detailed experience to our customers. However, we don’t aim to please everyone. Our target market appreciates quality, beautiful eyewear and is tech savvy.”

At Art of Optiks, you’ll find frames from Blake Kuwahara, Bevel Specs, Barton Perriera, Lindberg, Orgreen, Kaenon, Chrome Hearts, Rolf Spectacles, Maybach, Cartier, Etnia Barcelona, JF Rey as well as boutique collections “carefully curated, just 15 to 30 pieces per line” from Lindberg Precious, Lindberg Horn, Francis Klein, Piero Massaro, Res/Rei-Boutique collection, Jean Phillipe Joly, Rigards and Bruno Chaussignand.

“What we do and what we provide goes well with what we’re about,” Haenes said. “You have to consider the community that you’re in especially where you are located. If you build your business around that you will be a lot more successful.”


Banking on the Lure of a Family Owned Business

Wink Optical: Jenkintown, Penn.

Although Wink Optical is a new name, Norma Messigner Meshkov’s optical boutique is part of a 90-year old family optical business.

The store, located in the Baederwood Shopping Center in Jenkintown, Penn., officially opened on Oct. 28, 2015. However, the opening of this boutique marks the continuation of five generations in optical. Meshkov’s great grandfather, grandfather and father were all optometrists and wholesale lab managers. The family business was first established on the Lower East Side of Manhattan until the family relocated to Center City, Philadelphia to form Philadelphia Eyeglass labs.

“Wink Optical is a new name, and the boutique is a new concept for us, but it is still a part of a 90-year-old family optical business,” Meshkov said. “Philadelphia Eyeglass Labs has five other locations in the Philadelphia area and has earned a reputation for excellence and experience in the optical world for five generations.”

The store carries brands such as Ray-Ban, Silhouette, Gucci, Seraphin, Sama Eyewear, I-Green, Tura, Eyecroxx, Revo and OGI, staying in a middle to upper price range frame line.

This transition came with the realization that “bigger and better wasn’t always working,” so Meshkov decided to evolve the family business to better fit the needs of today’s customers and society. This meant channeling a smaller, local feel with this new boutique.

“We felt that people were looking for a smaller more intimate experience,” Meshkov said. “We’ve seen large corporate stores lack quality, and we decided that what was required was to go in a different direction to see if we could go back to the personal experience. We’re continuing to change to meet the needs of society today.”