By Sarah McGoldrick
Friday, March 10, 2023 8:30 AM
Oscar time is here again, and it is not without debate. Many feel that films like “She Said,” “The Woman King” and “Nope” were overlooked, while films like “Avatar” and “Maverick” were more hype than intellect. But no matter where your allegiance lies this year, the Oscars always prove to be a reflection of the times we are living in.
VMAIL Weekend did a quick poll of some optical industry movie fans and here are their predictions for Best Picture Oscar winners.
By Sarah McGoldrick
Friday, February 3, 2023 8:30 AM
With the new year comes a renewed interest in catching up on reading. Whether looking for a book that helps with self-improvement or picking up the latest
New York Times bestseller, books offer the perfect escape from the dull days of winter. Just like the diversity and uniqueness of the optical industry itself, so too are the selection of reads being devoured in our roundup of best reads. This particular collection of books shows that readers in the optical industry are reflecting on the world around them, from current events to politics.
By Sarah McGoldrick / Contributing Editor
Sunday, January 29, 2023 12:29 AM
WITCHITA, Kan.—When Mark Nordyke and Richard Huynth combined their experience and expertise to build a new wholesale optical lab in Wichita, Kansas, they believed they would hit a home run. Today, less than two years after opening their lab, Optical Resources Group services about 200 accounts nationally and is fast becoming one of the leading wholesalers in the Midwest. In the wholesale lab business, that’s certainly a homer.
By Sarah McGoldrick / Contributing Editor
Thursday, August 4, 2022 12:59 AM
In an optical market that continues to be dominated by multinational corporations, many independent optical labs are finding a niche by focusing on customer service and custom lens designs. After nearly 20 years in the optical industry, this is where Dover Eye Lab founder and CEO Scott Rosenwald knew he could corner the market.
By Sarah McGoldrick / Contributing Editor
Saturday, April 23, 2022 1:30 AM
Microchips may be tiny, but they’ve having a huge impact worldwide, as every industry scrambles to deal with a global chip shortage. Already in short supply before COVID-19, the pandemic quickly pushed the shortage to new extremes, as everyone from car manufacturers to makers of optical lab equipment struggled to find alternative sources.
By Sarah McGoldrick
Saturday, April 23, 2022 12:57 AM
NEW YORK—Brand communication with customers was at the forefront of the Vision Monday Leadership Summit held prior to Vision Expo East. With the emergence of countless new social media tools and the increasing diversity in the way customers receive marketing messages, speakers at this year’s Summit pressed the need for brands to explore new outreach mediums.
By Sarah McGoldrick
Saturday, April 23, 2022 12:56 AM
NEW YORK—Big Tech companies are increasingly intersecting with the optical industry. Prescription-ready, wearable tech such as Amazon’s Echo Frames, which offer high quality audio and is Alexa-controllable, and Ray-Ban Stories—a collaboration between Meta and EssilorLuxottica that features audio and video capabilities—are gaining popularity with consumers. Apple is developing its own eyeglass wearable which, according to patents, may have augmented reality (AR) capabilities. Google, which acquired smart glass maker North several years ago, may field its own version of AR technology.
By Sarah McGoldrick
Sunday, February 6, 2022 2:59 AM
Like most modern businesses that rely on overseas suppliers, the optical lens industry has been impacted by recent disruptions to the global supply chain. Evidence of product shortages are apparent at optical trade shows where spectacle lens manufacturers are willing to wait up to six months to take delivery of low-priced lenses made in Asia.
By Sarah McGoldrick / Contributing Editor
Monday, August 2, 2021 1:44 AM
Despite a slump in optical retail sales caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was a strong year for online optical sales. Total optical retail sales fell 17.4 percent from December 2019 to December 2020 and $36.05 billion in retail revenues during the same period, according to The Vision Council’s VisionWatch report for Q4 2020. Yet online sales of eyeglass frames topped 9 million pairs during the same period, a 22 percent increase over the previous year.
By Sarah McGoldrick
Sunday, April 25, 2021 10:00 AM
It’s been a tough year for the optical industry, especially optical labs. Soon after COVID hit regional lockdowns began, and many eyecare practices closed or reduced their patient hours. Labs felt the impact almost immediately. A Vision Council Member Survey conducted in Spring, 2020 found that the majority of labs had reduced their production and service hours in response to decreased demand due to COVID-19. (see Fig. 1) As the volume of Rx orders fell, many labs reduced staff or staff hours. However, the decrease in sales from brick-and-mortar optical locations was partly offset by an increase in online optical sales, as homebound consumers increasingly turned to eyeglass e-tailers. Labs had to quickly adapt to these shifting market dynamics by adjusting their service and delivery strategies.
By Sarah McGoldrick
Sunday, April 25, 2021 9:59 AM
More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, optical labs are still adjusting to the disruptions the pandemic has caused to the eyecare practices and optical retailers they service. With many lab customers operating on limited hours and under strict health restrictions that prevent making in-person sales calls, labs have had to develop new approaches to educating ECPs and staff about new products and services. In particular, many labs are shifting from face-to-face product demonstrations and traditional marketing materials and embracing virtual consultations.