By Paddy Kamen

There’s nothing like a pair of new sunglasses to lift the spirits and create a sense of fun or mystery. For one thing, sunwear speaks of summer, everyone’s favourite season. For another, you can align yourself with the stars – those of the Hollywood (and Bollywood) variety – all of whom wear sunglasses and are keen to outdo one another by rocking the latest eye candy.

There is clearly a market for sunwear, but when sunglasses are available from the drugstore, novelty shop, train station or street vendor, what is the eyecare professional to do?

Choosing your stock with care, educating consumers and merchandizing sunwear with flare are the keys to success. Whether you’re an independent, a chain, a boutique or a big box retailer, there’s plenty of opportunity in the sunwear market.

Diana Monea, owner of Eye Health Centres in Calgary and Regina, sees plenty of opportunity in this segment. “For starters, as multifocal contact lenses improve and become more user-friendly, non-ophthalmic sunglass sales for the boomer-generation are increasing.”

Currently, 70 per cent of Monea’s sunwear sales are plano, but the percentage of prescription sunwear sales is rising due to a concerted education and merchandising effort, for Monea leaves nothing to chance.

“Success with sunglass sales means consumer education from the cradle to the grave,” she says. “We educate new parents about proper UV protection for their children. Many parents don’t know that 30 per cent of damage to the eyes from UV occurs before the age of 18. And we make sure that adults know about the disastrous effects of long-term UV exposure to the eyes. From the patient in the chair to the optician selling the eyewear, we emphasize eye protection with proper sunwear.”

Monea has her staff place new sunwear in highly visible store locations, along with attractive and eye-catching POP from fashion magazines. “We’re always on the lookout for new merchandising ideas and like to attend classes at professional conferences to gain new insights into how to properly position products to grab attention and instill desire. We have POP showing on our in-house TV, as well as brochures at every desk and in the examining rooms.”

What is selling best for Monea? “Designer labels are a big hit for those 15 to 40, but after that age practicality becomes a bigger issue.”

Amin Mamdani, owner of Squint Eyewear in Toronto, sells premium, artisanal brands. “While licensed sunwear still dominates, I find that premium brands are gaining momentum. We carry sunwear that is special and unique,” says Mamdani. “But it is essential to present a selection and cater to different demographics.”

When you think about stock selection, keep in mind that some of the smaller manufacturers and distributors offer the retailer a reasonably priced, quality product that won’t be found on every street corner. Cendrine Obadia, president and lead designer of Zig Eyewear, notes that when the majority of retailers carry the same brands, prices tend to fall because price is the main differentiator. “Retailers need to sell different products to stand out and to give consumers more choice,” she says. Several manufacturers in this category, all with attractive sunwear offerings, are covered in the product section of this feature.

Another excellent differentiator for the optical store is sports-specific sunwear. There are many excellent brands in this segment. Mamdani carries adidas RXO™. “There’s an adapter inside the lens that provides the correction, or the sunglasses have prescription lenses,” he says. “These are safe, lightweight sunglasses, ideal for runners, cyclists, boaters and skiers. We also carry ski goggles and a vast selection of polarized performance lenses.”

Charles Dray is the owner of 11 Key West Boutique stores in Quebec. His stores sell sunwear and watches exclusively. West says the number of people buying sunwear for sporting activities has increased substantially in the last 10 years. “The new lens and frame technologies have taken the sun-sport market to a whole new level. This segment is growing by leaps and bounds and people are looking for sun protection for all kinds of sports.”

Who is Presenting Your Sunwear Products? 

Staff training is, without a doubt, one of the most important drivers of sunwear sales. Beverly Suliteanu, creative director and vice-president of product development for Westgroupe, says, “It requires expertise as well as knowledge to effectively sell sunwear. The dispenser needs to ask questions about the customer’s lifestyle, and how she will use her sunglasses in order to effectively convey the need for prescription sunwear. Staff must understand and talk about the various lens and coating options that are on the market; they must also be able to communicate the benefits of purchasing good-quality sunwear versus cheap, sub-standard sunglasses.”

Georges et Phina portent des lunettes director Daniel Laoun says, “In my experience, not enough emphasis is given to training staff. For example, polarized lenses have gained widespread popularity in recent years and are marketed to everyone. However, an individual who uses their smart phone constantly may prefer to forego this option since polarized lenses make it harder to see the screen. And more often than not, the lens tint is chosen to match the frame colour, yet is should be chosen according to how the client uses their glasses. For example, when a client chooses a black frame, grey lenses may seem the obvious choice. Yet brown lenses are typically better for activities requiring contrast, like driving or golfing. While aesthetics are important, visual comfort should always be the top priority.”

The Upsell 

Sunwear is a retailer’s dream when it comes to upselling and multiple sales. Namita Karir is the managing optician at Karir Eyewear’s Yorkdale location in Toronto. Says Karir, “Sunwear is always an upsell but if you do it once, you never have to do it with that customer again. In two years when they replace their frames, they will also replace their sunglasses.” Interestingly, Karir sells more plano than prescription fashion sunwear. “We sell a lot of sunglasses to our contact lens-wearing customer base as well. Those people feel they won’t get much use out of a sunglass if it is prescription.”

Monea points out that one pair of sunglasses cannot possibly meet the needs of the active person. “The upsell makes perfect sense. Just as one pair of shoes won’t meet all your needs, so with sunwear!”

HERE’S WHAT’S NEW IN SUNWEAR!

Feast your eyes on the magnificent sunwear offerings from our leading manufacturers and distributors. You can rock the casbah with any one of these pieces – and your clientele will be glad you did!