mod. Wan 5555
Truly exceptional pieces, the new Volte Face models aren’t only beautiful but also demonstrate the outstanding work of Fabienne Coudray-Meisel, who has a very unique and personal way of highlighting volume, colour and texture. And all with a strong attention to detail. The materials comply perfectly to the designer’s requirements, as well as the latest technologies, and play up some surprising light effects.
Alternative and Plan B Eyewear announce the launch of OMFG, a multi-platform interactive campaign and contest aimed at engaging glasses wearers across the U.S. and Canada through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. OMFG – short for Oh My Fabulous Glasses. At press time, a massive launch event is planned for Vision Expo East in New York City from March 15-17 (booth #876).
“We’re excited about the OMFG campaign,” saysPaul Storace, president and CEO of Alternative and Plan B Eyewear. “It’s an innovative way to expose our brands to thousands of consumers while showcasing the best of eyewear culture. We wanted a chance to take our eyewear solution to a broader market – to let people know what we have to offer – and social media is a great medium for consumer-focused engagement.”
Prizes for the contest include a weekly draw for a pair of Alternative and Plan B Eyewear frames, an iPad, and a chance for one participant to become the face of Alternative and Plan B Eyewear at an all-expenses-paid trip to Toronto for a professional photo shoot and a complete eyewear wardrobe.
For details on the OMFG campaign, including how to enter, go to www.ohmyfabulousglasses.com or the Alternative and Plan B Eyewear Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AlternativePlanBEyewear.
Globex Enterprises, exclusive distributor of Rupp + Hubrach lenses in Canada, is pleased to offer their full line of multifocal and single-vision lenses, as well as their award-winning custom-made YSIS progressive and single-vision line with the only anti-reflective coating without any residual colour – PURLUX.
PURLUX’s new four-component refinement system provides the aesthetics for both good vision and appearance. With the colour neutrality of the new PURLUX Hellaplast, lenses appear pure and clear. The complex layered system allows lenses – with or without tinting – to remain unchanged.
PURLUX also includes a protective hardcoat GHnc and an excellent anti-static effect. The anti-static effect is 10 times higher than that achieved by conventional super-anti-reflective coatings. The GHnc hardcoat ensure the lenses are robust and durable.
The PURLUX anti-reflective coating without residual colour is uniquely manufactured by Rupp + Hubrach. The company offers a full line of progressive, bifocal and single-vision lenses and has been voted Number One by German opticians
mods. 3112 and 3113
Ogi Eyewear carves an exclusive niche within the world of high fashion with the Natural Instinct collection, designed to emulate the timeless beauty, multi-tonal colour, and tactile textures that one can find in the natural world around us. Each frame exudes a unique essence of personality, driven by colourful, organic hues in combination with handcrafted details and patterns.
“The Natural Instinct collection was inspired by the worldly traveler, one who sets out to find beauty in the smallest details of all that the world has to offer. The soft, organic shapes, along with the intriguing textural details of each style coalesce beautifully to create a look full of originality and distinction,” says Karly Anderson, marketing and design.
The 3112 model features soft, organic curves that revitalize the traditional silhouette of a classic P3 shape. Each frame features an emphasized brow, textured with an innovative “wooden” brushed acetate effect. Subtle earth tones, such as dark tortoise/antique crystal and black/crystal, give this model an intriguing intellectual look, featuring larger lenses and a classic keyhole bridge.
Ogi Eyewear’s 3113 frame debuts with intriguing colour combinations and a distinctive “wooden” appearance. Camouflage tone marriages, such as red-purple camouflage/blue and orange camouflage/black, present a unique colour palette for the 3113 model. Smooth, organic curves complement this acetate design’s semi-rectangular shape to produce an essence of individuality.
Clarion Medical Technologies, one of Canada’s largest private medical companies, and Hoya Vision Care Canada, a leading provider of precision prescription laboratory services and high-quality ophthalmic lenses, announce a strategic partnership that offers outstanding value and benefit to eyecare professionals.
This unique program provides the opportunity to acquire superior diagnostic technology and remarkable lens innovation in one combined offer. With the purchase or lease of any Clarion capital technology, credits are earned from Hoya which can be applied to the purchase or lease amount of the Clarion technology. The offer brings great value to ECPs by enabling new, essential technologies and products that support and enhance a progressive practice.
“We are pleased to be working with Clarion Medical Technologies on this program,” said David Pietrobon, president of Hoya Vision Care Canada. “They are a very strong partner in the Canadian vision industry. We both share a commitment and dedication to patient well-being and practice growth, as well as a commitment to cutting-edge technology.”
The strategic alliance has already enabled many ECPs to enjoy the benefits and value of increased purchasing power. The unique OCT programs based on the Optovue iVue and iWellness EXAM systems have been very well received in the marketplace as they offer improved eyecare at the comprehensive exam level through better diagnostics.
“Hoya Vision Care Canada was the perfect choice for this alliance, as their business philosophy and understanding of the optometrist’s needs are well aligned with Clarion’s. We both strive to provide the most innovative products that offer great patient care with a competitive advantage which is essential for successful practice growth in today’s optometric marketplace,” said Joseph Arango, executive vice president of Clarion Medical Technologies.
From left to right: mods. Baxter, Mr. Las Vegas and El Presidente
Optique Levy introduces Reeva Eyewear, a refreshing collection aimed at artsy people, to the Canadian market. Born in Miami Beach as an underground phenomenon, the line captures the essence of street art based on authenticity and individual expression.
The Reeva models are mostly made of acetate, more precisely of genuine Mazzucchelli material known for its brilliance and depth of colour. Every frame is crafted in Italy, near Belluni in the inspiring mountainous region of the Veneto. The brand’s mission is to produce and distribute quality eyewear, as well as innovative, creative and genuine designs, all at a very affordable price.
Sold in 22 countries, the Reeva craze is now available through Optique Levy with 25 ophthalmic models for women and men. Sunglasses will be available later.
Breton Communicationsis pleased to announce that the results of the first-ever online survey of Canadian eyecare professionals are now available for purchase.
As a trusted source of information onCanada’s optical industry, the company received numerous requests from both vision care practitioners and suppliers for industry statistics that weren’t available elsewhere. As a result, Breton Communications is launching OPTI-STATS, a web-based data gathering tool.
The 2012 Survey of Canadian Eyecare Professionals was launched in May 2012 and conducted over a period of three months. Email invitations to participate were sent to approximately 4,900 optical professionals and retailers. More than 960 professionals responded by starting the questionnaire and over 530 completed it, a 57 per cent completion rate.
“We were thrilled with the number of eyecare professionals who responded,” says Martine Breton, president of Breton Communications. “With over 100 questions in eight different categories, we really appreciate the fact that so many ECPs took their valuable time to provide us with answers.”
The survey included questions on demographics, sales, Internet usage, marketing, purchasing, human resources, eco-responsibility and an overview of the industry. The results provided a very detailed portrait of the Canadian market: a greying industry with 67.2 per cent of respondents aged 40 or older, 66 per cent independent retailers, 30 per cent chain stores and the majority of respondents located in Ontario and Quebec. Also, in spite of recent economic uncertainties, the sales report was fairly positive, with 33.9 per cent of ECPs indicating that sales were slightly higher in 2011 compared to 2010.
Breton adds: “The high level of participation really provided us with reliable data. Using an approximate population of 12,000 Canadian ECPs, the survey demonstrates a 4.135 per cent margin of error and a 95 per cent confidence level. With the major changes that have taken place in Canadian vision care over the last few years, this type of accurate information has never been more vital.”
Breton Communications plans to conduct more surveys in the future, providing comparative analysis and trends insights against this first baseline report.
For more information or to purchase the PDF results online, please visit: www.envisionmagazine.ca or www.envuemagazine.ca.
VEDI, exclusive partner of the Aeroplan® loyalty program in the optical category, announces the availability of this program to all independent eyecare practices across Canada.
Founded in 2012 by industry veterans, VEDI has proved after a successful year that loyalty programs deliver. First year results for the program saw purchases of $12.9 million by Aeroplan members from participating practices; 30,146 Aeroplan members purchased from participating practices, with an average increase spend by Aeroplan patients of 64.6 per cent vs. the practices’ average. “The program attracted 2,845 new patients to the participating practices. Optical suppliers, including J&J, Nikon, and Zeiss participated in the program with bonus Miles offered for their products. These promotions proved to be highly successful,” says VEDI President Syl Ghirardi.
The Aeroplan loyalty program is the elite loyalty program in Canada with approximately five million members. Loyalty programs offer practices the opportunity to differentiate with one of the most recognizable brands and allow them to compete in an increasing competitive landscape. The patient loyalty program costs less than one per cent of the practice’s sales while increasing profits.
VEDI will be offering new programs this year, such as Redemption of Miles for product. Starting in April, VEDI will launch the redemption program, allowing Aeroplan members to redeem their Miles for optical products at the practices. Aeroplan is a registered trademark of Aimia Canada Inc.
Liberty Sport has announced the launch of Liberty Sport Canada, effectively taking over distribution of all Liberty Sport and Switch Vision products from Plan B/Alternative Eyewear. “We thank Plan B for their introduction of our sports products into the country,” says Anthony M. DiChiara, president and CEO of Liberty Sport, “and are pleased to be able to service the Canadian market directly as a truly complete Rx sport vision resource.”
For over 83 years, Liberty Sport has actively been selling within the Canadian market. Originally with ophthalmic product manufactured by Liberty Optical and distributed by Imperial Optical, the company has evolved into the manufacturing and distribution leader of Rx’able protective and performance sport eyewear. Liberty Sport can provide all sports vision needs from protective sports eyewear to sport performance sunglasses covering a wide range of sports and performance lifestyle categories. All of their products are 100% Rxable and offer the complete Rx, including free single vision, through Liberty Sport Labs.
Heading up the Canadian division is Pat Salamat, vice-president of sales. Pat joins Liberty Sport with more than 20 years of sales and management experience working within the Canadian marketplace. He has worked for a variety of optical companies in the past including Marchon, Marcolin and Imperial Optical.
Coburn Technologies has established a new group within the company called Coburn Lab Works.This team of employees within Coburn, headed up by new hire Daniel Clarke, is tasked specifically with the support of independent optical laboratories including the development of new products, product/process support, and insuring the highest level of value on a lab by lab basis.
Curt Brey, vice president of marketing and business development, stated: “We are taking the energy and resources we used to bring over a dozen new products to market since we became Coburn Technologies, and focusing that same level of effort into our supplies and consumables side of the business.”
In addition to the Lab Works Group, Coburn is also introducing a new 1 Step, all-material fining pad called “Sapphire”. This new 7-petal pad uses premium self-sharpening aluminum oxide abrasive grains that are precision coated to provide superior life, fast cut rate and consistent finish. Designed to fine all common lens materials that have been lathe generated (except glass), this new pad is available in all standard sizes.
Alex Incera, president of Coburn Technologies, stated: “We are excited about this expansion of our team and our renewed commitment to independent optical laboratories as we continue with our corporate vision to be the preferred supplier and business partner to the global ophthalmic industry.”
