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NEW YORK--The evolution of the Internet Age has impacted optical retailing as so many other segments of American life. In the past decade the industry’s retail community has gone digital in a big way.
From informational Web sites created by optical retailers to online sales of plano sunglasses and replacement contact lenses, consumers now have the option of doing their optical research and even shopping via computer. Buying ophthalmic eyewear online has been slower to catch on, however. The hurdles of required measurements, fitting frames to a consumer’s face, and--perhaps most significantly--the “touchy-feely” aspect of buying eyeglasses have been difficult to overcome for many brick-and-mortar eyewear retailers.
But a new crop of online-only retail players has emerged, and their executives have high hopes for the future of e-tailing in optical.
“Online purchases of eyewear have had a slow growing period,” acknowledges James Hilford, president of Eyeglasses.com. “The consumer has slowly grown more confident about online purchases, but eyeglasses are one of the slower adaptors in the e-commerce realm.”
Said Hilford, “Our goal is to provide information on frames and lenses, regardless of whether individuals make a purchase. We want them to find the best place to make their purchase, whether with us or more locally.”
Dhavid Cooper, OD, co-founder and chief executive officer of FramesDirect.com, said the perception of online sales has shifted in recent years: “It’s far more accepted now, both by the public and the industry. The explosive growth in broad-band technology and the availability of high-speed access in most homes has helped fuel the explosion; people search and seek for information about eyewear products, trends and brands and want answers immediately. The 8 a.m-to-5 p.m. model no longer suffices; users may want an answer or to find a product late Saturday evening--and they expect the answer to be on the Web, from the convenience of home or office.”
And who is the online customer? “Some are searching to save some money, but that’s not what we are about,” said Hilford of Eyeglasses.com. “I’d say our customer is between 35 and 54 years old, looking for information, selection and service with confidence.”
Added Cooper, “We’ve had testimonials from people in the military and those who are housebound and sometimes incarcerated, who have expressed such gratitude for being able to use a service like this.”
And what impact do these e-tailers see their market segment having on the larger eyewear marketplace?
“I don’t think we’re that big a threat--we’re more helpful, a place people can go to get information and make a good purchase,” Hilford said. “This aspect of the industry is still in its infancy; the fear that we will somehow revolutionize the optical retail industry is unfounded.”
Agreed Cooper, “Online retailing is difficult and expensive to pull off, but it is here to stay and will grow. There will always be brick-and-mortar stores and consumers who prefer to physically go into a store, but there will also be millions who prefer to go online.
“In the same way ‘one-hour service’ superstores and direct-mail contact lens retailers had an impact on the local optical store or optometrist, online retailing will in time have an impact as consumer awareness grows--but to what extent, I can’t predict, since we’re still in the very early stages of an emerging medium,” he added.