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In the fifth session of the VM Global Leadership Summit, three key decision makers took the stage to discuss their strategies for developing meaningful relationships with customers, as well as how new technologies can facilitate the business-to-consumer bond.



Michael Devlyn, executive vice president of retail for the Devlyn Optical Group, an optical retail group based in Mexico with a total of 900 stores in Latin America and the U.S., connected the company's growth with its ability to adapt to distinct consumer environments. Over the course of its nearly 80 years in business, the Devlyn Optical Group has developed several divisions, each catering to a different category of customer.

The main strategy for growth, Devlyn said, is segmentation. In a pyramid-like structure, from the high end market at the top to the mass market consumers at the base, each of Devlyn's target markets is at a different "level" and thus is serviced through different brands. The group also operates separate divisions for the Hispanic market, convenience market and optometric rehabilitation sector, each incorporating new technologies to attract more customers.

The retail panel included (l to r) FPOV's Andrew Ranson; Edward Beiner, the Edward Beiner Group; New Look Eyewear's Antoine Amiel; and Michael Devlyn, Devlyn Optical Group.
Devlyn identified several examples of "innovations" the company has begun to explore, including the self eye test screening. Though eye exams on-the-go may be taken as a threat to many optometric businesses, Devlyn described the new technology as "a trend that can generate more awareness of eyecare" by reaching people who will eventually visit an optical practice. Additionally, the tool can free up time for doctors and make room for more exam lanes.

Antoine Amiel, vice chairman of the board of New Look Eyewear Inc., also pinpointed the segmented plan of action used to reach the New Look Optical Group's overall aim. The Group operates three independent store networks—New Look Eyewear, Vogue Optical and Greiche & Scaff—each of which addresses different customers, Amiel said. In addition to having distinct retail environments, the Group also approaches marketing from separate standpoints for each market or "theme," vision care, fashion or value. "We operate each retail network independently so they each retain their own flavor," Amiel said.

For Edward Beiner, president of the Edward Beiner Group, employee development plays a major role in the company's capacity for growth. Luxury sales training, customer service exercises, technology tutorials, team building activities and brand experiences are leveraged to ensure each of the chain's 12 locations is operating efficiently and cohesively, along with staying on top of the latest trends. "It is a goal of the Group to be at the forefront of fashion and technology," said Beiner.

By employing a "360 marketing plan," which includes social media presence on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook and general web presence with the company website and e-blasts, the brand is able to stay top-of-mind and on trend. "Communication is continuously evolving and changing," Beiner said. "Being involved keeps us relevant to consumers."

Even while in the process of utilizing actionable information for their businesses to adapt and grow, each retail group communicated a need to remain adroit and flexible in a continuously changing consumer landscape. "We realize we are in the process right now of having to change," Beiner said.