Essilor Laboratories of America (ELOA), introduced PhysioTints,
a new polycarbonate sunlens with tints that give
patients a true, natural color perception (like
in the photo above). PhysioTints will not crack, fade or peel
because ELOA tints the polycarbonate lens and not just the coating.
The lenses, which are compatible with Crizal Alizé coating, are ideal for patients with light-sensitive
eyes. They are available from the lightest to the darkest sun-tints
in brown, gray, gray-green and black, tint grades 0-3 and there are
no power or base curve issues, according to ELOA..
Earlier
this year, KBco released Contour,
a polarized aspheric polycarbonate single-vision
lens with its proprietary "harder
than glass" HC16 coating for scratch resistance. The lens is
available in KBco's three best selling colors: KBco Grey
C, KBco True Grey and KBco Brown C.
Strapped
In
Fat Cat
EK Ekcessories offers a new product for thick temples. The Fat Cat
cord is a 24-inch nylon cord that has a three-way eyewear retainer
that is designed to attach to the glasses in three different ways.
It is available in five color patterns. For thinner temples, there
is the Thin Cat.
Dualies
Hilco makes it
easy for sports enthusiasts to find the right cord to pair with their
sunglasses. Hilco's Dualies are available
in various colors and thicknesses, as shown
here. Dualies have a duel endpiece design
that either attaches to temple ends or is slipped over the temple.
Lace-like
Designs and Patterns
All
Laced Up
Feminine lace-like
designs can be found in various sunglass collections
this season. Metallic lace-like patterns appear on temples and
bridges. Other lace-like materials are laminated into frames
and frame fronts in both the sunglass and ophthalmic collections
this year.
Legacie's
Judith Leiber style
JL 1552SG
Via
Spiga 406-S by Zyloware
Mormaii
style Itacaré by
Match Eyewear
Mass
Appeal
Marchon
Eyewear's Calvin Klein ads (like
the one pictured at right) appear in the June
issues of Hamptons and GQ magazines.
The ad here features sunglass style
ck4002 in white. GQ, the male equivalent
of Vogue, targets the men's
market and reaches nearly a million men, mostly
ages 18 to 49. Hamptons magazine targets
a smaller audience (37,500) but reaches influential
and wealthy men and women with homes worth
more than one million dollars a piece.
Leveraging
sales with eye level placement
Sunglass
Sweet Spot
Ocean
State Ophthalmology's sunwear set up
Polaroid
display
Ocean State Ophthalmology,
in Johnston, R.I., has a unique way to get
customers interested in sunglasses. Optician Ted Nelson places sunglasses
horizontally on display boards at eye level between ophthalmic frames.
Nelson also integrates designer ophthalmic frames with designer
sunglasses in other parts of the store. "When sunglasses are
at eye level with ophthalmic frames, there is more of a chance for
a spontaneous sale. Someone might come in to purchase a regular pair
of eyeglasses with no intention of buying sunglasses and see a beautiful
pair of sunglasses right in front of their eyes," explained
Nelson. This helps increase the odds of a second
pair sell, he said.
Another way
to increase sales is to offer polarized sunglasses with various
price points, noted Nelson. He said that some customers are scared
off by polarized sunglasses that retail at $200. "Polaroid
polarized sunglasses are a great product and the price point is
very appealing to the patient," said Nelson. He said that
in the $69 range, it's a very easy sale, especially after
patients are shown the demonstration display
unit so they can see the benefits for themselves.
A large majority of his sunglass sales also come from contact lens
wearers who have a need for plano sunglasses.
Of all the
patients who see Ocean State Ophthalmology's
ophthalmologist, Giulio Diamante, approximately
90 percent purchase prescriptions on site, leaving
lots of opportunity for secondary sunglass sales,
said Nelson. He added that 25 percent of their
eyewear sales are from sunglasses.
Money-making tips for merchandising, POP and display
Hobie
Polarized 54-unit display
Standing
Tall
Hobie Polarized
sunglasses can stand out in stores with a branded
54-unit floor display (pictured right). Other
point-of-purchase materials available to highlight
Hobie Polarized sunglasses include 24- and 12-unit
counter displays, a mirror and glare box tester, a technical
flip stand and an in-case Hobie logo pedestal.
Link
in copper
Making News
Former "Murphy Brown" actress Candice Bergen wears
Robert Marc style 717 here.
Kanye in Kors
Singing
sensation Kanye West sports Michael
Kors' sunglass
style MKS101.
Cleaning Up Nice
Kelly Osbourne sheds her Goth look for a more refined one
here. Osbourne is in Christian Roth style CR14232 BK.
Mission
Possible
Tom Cruise takes on his Mission Impossible III world tour
wearing the Chrome Hearts Classic Elite style.
Oakley On Screen
James
Marsden, X-Men character Cyclops,
wears the Oakley Penny style in the flick "X-Men-3: The
Last Stand."
Britney in Vogue
Britney
Spears scored Vogue glasses at an event for "Upfronts" week
in NYC. She was later spotted wearing
the Vogue aviator sunglass style VO3555-SB
all around town.
On the Hudson
Kate Hudson
wears Kate Spade Paola in the movie, "You,
Me & Dupree," which will hit theaters next month.
Idol for Style
American
Idol contestant Chris Daughtry should have won first place
for his sense of style. Here he wears Dior Homme 0069S while belting
out a song.
The "4 Your Eyes Only" grouping from Charmant's Christian Roth collection is sleek, sporty and sensuous. These titanium frames have an architectural form and lenses provide UV protection. Lenses come in various chic colors from traditional grays and browns to green, blue, pink and yellow. The colored lenses also appear between the frame's split temples.
Chrome Hearts
OSA International's spring/summer 2006 sunglass collection includes retro and modern styles. Classic aviator styles are adorned with Chrome Hearts fleur de lis accents on end pieces and have hand-stitched Italian leather temples. The collection also includes vintage-inspired frames like those worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 70s.
Coach
Marchon Eyewear released the 2006 Coach collection which includes fresh sunwear styles in various colors. Eye shapes range from modified ovals to bowties. The signature "C" logo pattern lines the inside of select zyl temples. Swarovski crystals, logo plaques and an etched "C" pattern add interest to the outer temples of others.
Costa Del Mar
The Costa 580 sunglass collection, which is popular with water sports enthusiasts, is expanding to include blue and green mirrored lenses, which provide a high level of visual acuity. The collection now has a total of four lens color options: blue mirror, green mirror, copper and grey. COSTA 580 sunglasses provide 100 percent UV protection; lenses are also polarized.
Dior Extralight
Safilo launched Dior Extralight, a Jackie-O type wrap around style that is lightweight. It comes in two sizes, 1S (larger) and 2S (smaller). The frame is made with an extra light resin composite that can twist and bend 180 degrees. The frame's hinges are also made with the same flexible material. Frames are super thin; they are no thicker than the thickness of a polycarbonate lens.
Etro
Viva
International's Etro
collection expanded with two new
sunglass styles. Styles blend innovative
color combinations with a striking
design. Frames have 8-base lenses
and temples have a special second
lamination that looks like leather
with stitching. One sunglass style
comes with gradient lenses.
Saki
Modo's luxury eyewear collection, Saki, expands with three new wood styles made from teak, a closely-grained wood from Indonesia that resists warping, rotting, splitting and cracking with proper treatment. Saki appeals to mature, sophisticated customers, baby boomers and the elite. The new collection also includes one buffalo horn piece.
Tekno
Alain
Mikli's Tekno
styles are made with dual color
acetate with temple embellishments
such as spikes or piercings. The
six Tekno styles are part of a
sub-collection within Alain Mikli's
SM line, which launched in March.
The line targets male and female
urbanites and hipsters of all ages.
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