Author Archives: Envision Magazine

Transitions Optical Reveals 2013 Transitions Awards Finalists

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Transitions

Transitions Optical has named the finalists for its annual Transitions Awards program, which recognizes leading independent eyecare professionals and optical retailers in Canada for their year-long commitment to promoting eye health and Transitions® lenses. The finalists will be honoured, and the winners will be announced, during the 18thAnnualTransitionsAcademy event to be held January 26-29 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Orlando.

The three finalists for the fifth annual Transitions Eyecare Professional of the Year award are Sandy Koppé, O.D. from The Eye Care Group, with two locations in Edmonton, Alberta and one in St. Albert, Alberta (western region); Wael Yassein from The Eye Shoppe, based in Oshawa, Ontario (central region); and Pierre Vallée, O.D. from Clinique d’optométrie Pierre Vallée, based in Sherbrooke, Québec (eastern region).

Finalists for the second annual Transitions Retailer of the Year award include Costco Optical (a first-time finalist), which has over 60 locations across Canada; Loblaw Optical (a 2012 finalist), which has more than 130 locations in eight provinces; and Lunetterie New Look Eyewear (the 2012 winner), which has over 70 stores in Quebec and Ontario.

The Transitions Eyecare Professional of the Year and Transitions Retailer of the Year finalists were judged on their year-long commitment to photochromic growth; alignment to Transitions Optical and participation in programs and promotions, strategic marketing initiatives, education and training efforts, and community involvement.

Wheeler, the Quintessential Round Frame

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OgiWheeler

Seraphin brings back the classic shapes of a bygone era, adding in striking modern details to create neoclassic styles that transcend time. As a contemporary interpretation of the timeless round style, Seraphin introduces the Wheeler.

This bold, circular frame is made of tortoise acetate with a hidden dash of colour on the underside in jade, monaco blue, sherry, or camel. Topped off with small silver rivets on the end pieces, the Wheeler is savvy and wise.

What could be better than classic tortoise shell paired with dynamic fresh hues? These designer-inspired combinations give the underside of the Wheeler a juicy pop of colour. Perfect for those with a sharp wit and dynamic intellect, the Wheeler gives a subtle spin to an iconic shape, making it a signature piece in the Seraphin collection,” says Katy Verbrugge from Seraphin Eyewear Marketing and Design.

The line is distributed in Canada by OGI Eyewear.

Take part in the Silmo Academy

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SilmoThe fifth edition of the SilmoAcademy will be held as part of Silmo Paris, a major international trade show. The theme of this event, scheduled for September 28, 2014 and September 29 in the morning, will be eyestrain.

Posters and written communications will be on display throughout the exhibition in order to maximise exposure. Anyone wishing to share their work on any topic may register before April 30, 2014, by sending the title of their poster to silmoacademy@silmoparis.com.

Introduced in 2010, the SilmoAcademy provides information and training to opticians on the latest scientific developments in the optical field. This event aims to broaden eyecare professionals’ knowledge to meet their clients’ visual requirements more effectively.

Design as a Total Concept

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MarchonValentino

The defining elements of Valentino’s contemporary language – metal studs, stylized logo, and vibrant yet sleek elegance – punctuate the winter Valentino collection, distributed by Marchon.

A square unisex acetate model with a distinctive line across the brow has a timeless look. Two small metal studs on the frame front add a unique touch, while a heat-embossed Valentino logo is delicately placed on the temples. This frame is available in two versions: the V656S model is Havana acetate on the outside and iconic Valentino red inside with metal studs, while the V670S is Havana streaked acetate for men and black and white acetate for women with subtle tone-on-tone studs.

The curvy oversized acetate model V664S has a gilt metal trim on the bridge that forms the iconic V. The left temple bears a gold Valentino logo adding a luminous accent to the eyes.

A Unique Model

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Ziggy

It’s an immediate success for Ziggy’s Collection nº 3. “We gave it this name because it resembles no other frame from this collection,” says Cécile Tronel of Zig Eyewear.

Presented for the first time in Paris at last year’s Silmo, Collection nº 3 by designer Cendrine O. is distinguished by a very feminine design and epoxy strass applied to a metal shape.

The colours work with different skin tones and all ages because of the combinations of brown and purple, black and silver, burgundy and light brown.

FYidoctors Announces Strategic Partnership with VSP Vision Care Canada

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FYIVSP

FYidoctors, one of Canada’s largest independent eyecare services company with more than 400 optometrists servicing over 210 locations between its corporate-owned locations and its Vision Source Canada franchise locations, announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with VSP Vision Care Canada. This partnership will provide FYidoctors access to Canadian patients covered by VSP’s vision insurance.

FYidoctors and VSP have created a joint venture that is owned in equal parts by each organization. This new company will combine VSP’s strong employee benefits platform, with FYidoctors extensive network of independent optometrists across Canada, including its Vision Source Canada franchise locations.

“The landscape of Canadian healthcare, and optometry more specifically, is changing rapidly and we must remain relevant to our patients. This joint venture with VSP will allow us to create a value proposition that will encourage patient access to our clinics across the country,” says Dr. Al Ulsifer, founder and CEO of FYidoctors. “This venture provides our optometrists with the ability to have more control over their own destiny, despite current and future competition, and ultimately helps to preserve standards of eyecare in Canada.”

VSP’s role in the joint venture will be to market, sell and administer its vision care insurance platform to employers, big and small, across Canada. In turn, employees from these organizations will now be able to seek care from FYidoctors’ network of optometrists as well as its Vision Source Canada franchise locations. FYidoctors will also, subject to strict criteria, allow access to independent eye doctors outside the core of FYidoctors’ companies.

“FYidoctors was founded on the premise of improving eyecare in Canada and ensuring doctors define what an eye exam looks like. Unfortunately our industry has been under tremendous pressure to lower standards due to the commoditization of eyecare products and services by various competitors. This joint venture is truly, uniquely Canadian, and unlike any other model in the world,” Dr. Ulsifer continues.

The company reports that preferred provider networks, contrary to common belief, exist between Canadian employers and online optical companies or optical chains, but none with independent optometry, until now.

Ulsifer concludes, “FYidoctors did a great deal of due diligence on many potential partners and we found that VSP’s platform, combined with this unique partnership, offered the best fit for us to be able to enter into the world of vision care plans, while maintaining control over decisions related to optometry, fees and standards of care.”

Protecting Yourself from Cybercrime

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By JoAnne Sommers

YourMoneyWe Canadians sure love our mobile devices. Since the end of 2012, the percentage of Canadian adults who use a smartphone has nearly doubled to 56 per cent, according to a recent Google survey. At present, there are over 26 million mobile phones in this country for a population of about 35 million people.

The Google survey found that more than one-third of us would rather get rid of our televisions than part with our smartphones. And eight out of 10 smartphone owners surveyed said they don’t leave home without their mobile devices.

Yet most Canadians fail to take even the most elementary steps to protect the wealth of sensitive information – pictures, texts, emails, work files and banking information – stored on these devices.

Only 25 per cent of Canada’s smartphone users have basic free security software and 60 per cent of mobile users don’t know that security programs for their smartphones and tablets exist, according to the 2013 Norton Cybercrime Report from Symantec, a U.S.-based software security maker.

That ignorance exacts a steep price. According to the Norton report, cybercrime is on the rise in Canada: its cost more than doubled from $1.44 billion to $3.09 billion between 2012 and 2013. The report also estimated that seven million people in Canada have been victims of cybercrime in the past 12 months at an average cost of about $380 per victim.

Today’s cyber-criminals are using more sophisticated methods, such as spear-phishing – an advanced form of phishing, where cyber-criminals target their victims by sending malicious links to their email – and ransomware – when a cyber-criminal gains access to your computer or smartphone and locks it, preventing you from accessing any of the information inside it.

These attacks yield more money per attack than ever before, says Stephen Trilling, Chief Technology Officer, Symantec.

Canadians are victims of all kinds of cybercrime on a daily basis, including online credit card scams, clicking on malicious links in their social networks, identity theft, and having their information stolen while using free Wi-Fi, says Symantec Canada’s Toronto-based Director of Consumer Solutions Lynn Hargrove.

Symantec has found that 60 per cent of Canadians use public or unsecure Wi-Fi, while 24 per cent do online banking on free Wi-Fi networks. “What people don’t realize is that there’s no security on those Wi-Fi networks for the most part,” says Hargrove.

Canadians are guilty of a host of other cyber sins, she adds. Only 56 per cent of smartphone users delete suspicious emails from people they don’t know and just 46 per cent avoid storing sensitive files online. Forty-two per cent fail to log off after each social media session while another 28 per cent share their social media passwords with others.

“Everyone wants the ability to be connected anywhere, anytime, but it comes with a risk,” says Hargrove, noting that the consequences can entail, “anything from obvious financial losses, like money out of your credit card or bank account, to lost income, to the cost of getting your information back.”

The two biggest challenges for Canadians are making sure to use a sufficiently complex password for their mobile phones and tablets and ensuring that they have robust security software installed on their devices, she says.

Hargrove offers the following tips to protect against cybercrime:

  • Always password protect your smartphone and tablet.

Don’t use things like your birthday or anniversary date, which can easily be found online through your public profile, says Hargrove. “Create complex passwords that include a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols, and change your passwords regularly. Use different usernames and passwords for each online account so if one account is compromised, cyber-criminals won’t be able to gain access to other online accounts with the same username and password.”

  • Never shop or do your banking online while using a free Wi-Fi network in a coffee shop or elsewhere.

When banking and shopping, make sure the website is security enabled. Web addresses with “https://” or “shttp://” mean the site has taken extra measures to help secure your information. “http://” is not secure.

  • If in doubt, throw it out.

If an email, social network post or text message looks suspicious, delete it, even if you know the source.

  • Download security software on all your mobile devices.

Use a comprehensive security software suite and keep it up to date to avoid letting cyber-criminals onto your system in the first place, advises Hargrove. The suite should include anti-virus and anti-malware protection; online identity protection; network threat protection; browser protection; vulnerability protection; antiphishing technology; automatic updates; email and instant messaging (IM) monitoring; firewall; and spam blocking.

  • Check your credit card and bank statements regularly for fraudulent transactions.

“People who think their personal or financial information might have been accessed by a cyber-criminal should immediately change the user names and passwords for their online accounts and contact their bank and/or credit card company,” says Hargrove.

By taking these simple and affordable steps, you can save yourself a world of trouble – and probably a significant amount of money as well.

Focus on Customer Service: The Key to Online and In-store Success

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Envision: seeing beyond presents the final article in a series developed to explore online eyewear retailers, how they operate and what they have to offer.

By Evra Taylor

SpecialReportVancouver-based Coastal Contacts (www.coastal.com) has become the world’s largest seller of replacement eyeglasses, contact lenses and optical products. The brand is too young to be called iconic, but everything points in the direction of Coastal Contacts growing from its current “star” status to an even greater role in the retail eyewear landscape.

Coastal operates in Europe, North America and Australia, with the promise of a comprehensive product line, savings and shopping ease  –  in other words, affordable, convenient eyewear fashion.

Roger Hardy, founder and CEO, is unapologetically sure of himself and his offering. “We’ve been rated number one in key customer surveys. We run our own laboratory  –  we brought in Essilor people to run the lab  –  source all of our own product and control our own customer service.” Coastal offers a 366-day product guarantee, the only online optical seller to do so.

Hardy, who made his e-commerce debut in 2000, was partly motivated to enter the online marketplace by his discovery of the tremendous markup in contact lenses. “I saw that a $12 box of contact lenses retailed for $70; that was my ‘wow’ moment. I’ve seen many business models, but I’ve never seen this type of margin profile. People try us for the savings but they stay with us because our service level is so high,” he stated.

The Coastal.com web site design is trendy, hot and cutting edge, with an emphasis on style. Clearly, it has set its eye on the younger set that rejects the notion that eyeglass frame functionality and aesthetics are mutually exclusive.

The firm sells across all segments of the market, with a focus on 20- to 30-year-old women who spend $38 to $100 for frames, thus allowing them to enjoy multiple looks.

Coastal is also very engaged in the bifocal and progressives segments for the 45-plus set. At the same time, sales in the 55- to 60-year-old segment have been strong. The demographics reflect slightly more female customers than male, and an eyeglass frame-to-contact lens ratio of 70 per cent to 30 per cent. Hardy predicts additional growth for the eyeglass segment in the next three years, as online purchases represent dramatic savings compared to offline sales.

The company invests heavily in inventory. Coastal carries about six contact lens brands and 50-60 brands of eyewear, with 3,000 frame styles and 30,000 SKUs. In November 2013, Hardy placed global sales at approximately $220 million for the year.

Coastal’s Canadian division operates under the name ClearlyContacts.ca, which boasts, “the largest in-stock selection of designer frames,” and, “up to 50 per cent off optical store prices.” In 2014, the Canadian operation expanded to bricks and mortar stores in Vancouver and Toronto, with plans to open locations in selected Canadian cities including Calgary, as well as in Europe.

Hardy expects to keep refining his business model and to continue increasing brand awareness. “Our customers tell our story through referrals,” he said. “That’s the conduit for our message. The only way to build a brand is to do a good job.”

What’s the ultimate goal of this growing enterprise? According to the Coastal.com site, nothing less than becoming the “world’s optical store.”

J.F.Rey: Defying Gravity!

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By Paddy Kamen

In the competitive world of eyewear design there is one man who has stayed at the peak of the profession since he began. How does J.F.Rey do it? 

JFRey As someone who was quite literally born into the eyewear field, Jean-François (J.F.) Rey certainly had an excellent place from which to launch a career. His grandparents and parents were frame makers in the Jura region of France, which is world-renowned for the design and manufacture of eyeglasses. With history and family on his side, he designed his first collection for his father’s business at 16. From there he branched out and designed for some of the famous labels in ready-to-wear fashion, such as Agnès B., Issey Miyake and Marithé et François Girbaud. Not a bad start!

The year 1995 was decisive, as J.F. and his wife and business partner, Joëlle Rey, launched their own company with the amazing J.F.Rey and BOZ collections. Based in Marseille and with a plant in the Jura, it almost defies belief that this dynamic team, which conquered the eyewear world in less than 10 years, is now approaching their 20th anniversary and continues to dominate the world of eyewear design with innovations galore.

JFReyLaceWith a multi-faceted brand collection, J.F. is now the director of both BLI-DBP (with J.F.Rey and Boz brands) and SLI (with the brands Sky Eyes, Volte Face, and the license for Renoma). He leads a design team of five from the J.F.Rey Creation Studio.

“J.F.Rey is, above all, a family business with a common passion which continues today in the way we work,” he explains. “Team spirit is very important to us, at each level of the work, and it contributes to the success of our collections. The designers develop close and positive relationships, and even though each designer works on their own line, they are always exposed to the work of their colleagues, which provides cross-fertilization. Sensibilities, experience and vision are different for each designer and this makes for synergy. We have a very constructive and efficient way of working.”

Each new collection presents the opportunity for creativity and innovation for the J.F.Rey team. “In the last 10 years, in particular, we have succeeded in taking new techniques to the limits of the possible and bringing projects to fruition that even we thought were impossible,” says J.F.

One has only to look upon the collections to marvel at the immense creative energy JFReyVidainherent in the designs. Several pieces in the BOZ collection, with Joëlle Rey as artistic director, truly defy gravity with their daring temple designs. One wonders how the designers achieved balance in the attachment of the temples (the Swan, Stork, Spy and the latest Usha models must be seen to be believed), let alone creating frames that are light weight and comfortable to wear.

“This line is the exact reflection of Joëlle’s personality: original, with an explosion of passion, very elaborated, audacious and well-balanced,” notes J.F. “The art and success of this brand results from the synergy of colour, pattern and material influences. Boz is just incredible.”

Not to be outdone, the other collections – J.F.Rey, Renoma, Volte Face, and Sky Eyes – excel in their own unique ways. “The passion which characterizes our designers makes the difference,” says J.F. “Challenges bring unexpected results, which are very exciting for all, both manufacturers and buyers.”

In 2012, the company purchased the latest generation laser cutting and engraving unit for their Jura plant. “Thanks to this tool, we can rejuvenate acetate and metal, creating surprising graphics which appeal to both sight and touch,” says J.F. “It helps to cultivate a taste for new design challenges.” The benefits of the laser technology are evident in numerous pieces, including the Volte Face BlaBla 2090, where tortoiseshell acetate has been laser etched and in the striking metal Structure-Tweed collection.

The Hong Kong Optical Fair recently recognized the J.F.Rey genius made manifest in sunglass 2559, winner of Vision in Life Sunglasses Gold Award for 2013. This elegant piece is symbolic of the history of France, with a fleur de lys pattern etched onto the top of the semi-rimless eyepiece.

J.F. and Joëlle love travelling and discovering new cultures, new design influences and meeting new people. “We find inspiration everywhere,” notes J.F. “And time and again, we translate inspiration from art, architecture and the latest technologies into trendsetting designs. Our aim is to keep creating surprise and setting the trends in eyewear design.”

So that’s how he does it! But now that we know, does it seem less amazing that J.F.Rey is still on top and leading? Gravity means nothing to J.F.Rey and we can only look forward to more surprises as he and his team continue to change the face of eyewear.

J.F.Rey Canada is based in Montreal and managed by Sarah Braida and her team. They carry all collections mentioned in this article.

Resource Apps

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By Shirley Ha, HBSc., O.D.

makingcontactSorting through the hundreds of contact lens products on the market and finding the best lens for a patient is an everyday dilemma for contact lens fitters. The large contact lens database is constantly changing, as materials, designs, solutions and drops are added or discontinued because of technology and research developments. Print references – journals and guides – are fast becoming obsolete and stocking rarely-used trial lenses that occupy valuable office space just doesn’t make sense anymore.

Practitioners nowadays want quick and easy access to resources. Forget about using the phone to determine if a specific set of parameters is available. More and more, they’re going online or using mobile devices for tools and references, including for contact lenses.

At the time of writing, the online Contact Lens Compendium from the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, lists 428 contact lenses and 65 solutions/drops that are available in Canada. However, it does not provide tools such as conversion tables (which the print version does) and calculators.

A search for applications in both major smartphone operating systems at the Apple App and Google Play stores yielded the following download-worthy  – and not-so-good – apps. It should be noted that price was not a predictor of app quality.

The Right Contact (Free, iOS)

This resourceful app is free with registration on its parent website, TheRightContact.com. It is mostly native (not web-based) with in-app web browsers for many of its views. It has a searchable database of over 2,000 contact lens products from over 150 manufacturers, conversion tables and calculators, contact lens-related industry news, a blog, press releases and more. It also has a series of video quick tips and tutorials from its engaging founder, optometrist Dr. Jason E. Compton. The app is relatively fast and crashes only very occasionally. While many of the contact lenses are not available in Canada, the “Advanced Search” tool for product availability is very useful.

Contactology Tools ($1.03, Android)

This easy-to-use app has the standard conversion tables and calculators with a bonus prism calculator. A rigid gas permeable (RGP) curve calculator was recently added to its latest version to calculate the base curve radius (BCR) of the initial RGP trial lens. It is fast, accurate and reasonably priced.

Efron-CCLRU Grading Scales (Free, Android)

This familiar clinical reference guide describes the severity of contact lens complications and can be used as a teaching tool to show patients the importance of adhering to their contact lens-wearing schedules, too.

CL Calcs ($4.99, iOS)

A “lite” version of the EyeDock app (below), it has conversion tables and uses both the lens rotation (55 CW/CCW limit) and over-refraction to calculate the new toric lens prescription, like The Right Contact app. Optometrist and creator Dr. Todd M. Zarwell, even offers advice, including pros and cons, on the different lens design options and how to modify a fit from the refraction and keratometry readings. The app is stable, fast, easy-to-use and accurate.

EyeDock (Free, iOS)

A companion app to EyeDock.com, this app is free to its paid members. In addition to all the features found in the CL Calcs app, it has a searchable database for contact lenses, with direct links to the manufacturers and package inserts, as well as for topical therapeutic pharmaceutical agents (TPAs).

Opticalc Contact Lens Calculator ($3.99, iOS)

Rudimentary at best, this app has a vertex distance calculator and gives the spherical equivalent for a spherocylindrical prescription in the minus cylinder format only. The oblique X-cyl calculator used to determine the new toric lens does not allow for the actual lens rotation on the eye. Instead, it gives the amount of apparent lens rotation and uses this in the calculation.

ToriCalc ($3.99, iOS)

Also very basic, this app has the vertex distance calculator and an oblique X-cyl calculator similar to the Opticalc Contact Lens Calculator. It is questionable whether the developer understands the difference between the axis obtained in a subjective over-refraction versus the axis rotation of the lens when it is on the eye. While the calculations are accurate, for the cost, it is slow to start up and freezes a lot.

Two other noteworthy apps are: 1) the popular Eye Handbook (Free, Android & iOS) app, with conversion tables and a small Contact Lens Guide under its Physician Treatment tab, and 2) the indispensable Optics Clinical Calculator ($4.99, iOS), with conversion tables and calculators within it.

Apps have become an integral part of our daily lives and are changing the way we obtain information and do business. Thanks to the skill set of app developers, we are benefiting from the growing mobile app market this community has created. There remains room for the current contact lens app marketplace to grow. With the proper applications, resources and even complex contact lens computing tasks will continue to be readily accessible and easy to accomplish.