Are your sunglass sales feast or famine?

01
Are your sunglass sales feast or famine?
By Edwin J. Ellefsen, President - Opticote, Inc.
Have you noticed the exploding sunglass
market? Many consumers will gladly spend over
$250 for a pair of plano sunglasses, but do they
spend it at your office? And why do they balk at
spending $10 or $20 dollars for a tint? To be
successful riding the sunglass wave, you have to
first be knowledgeable about your product and
then sell solutions not services.
Sunglasses are like a sandwich; there are
innumerable combinations of products that can
satisfy every taste and need. Of course some
combinations are more popular than others.
And, some chefs are better than others. The
purpose of this article is to provide you with a
better understanding of how to build up just
A sandwich has several types of
ingredients; bread, meat,
vegetable, condiments
and possibly a garnish.
There are many choices
for ingredients. In breads
alone you have white,
wheat, onion rolls, rye,
etc. Likewise, sunglasses are
composed
of
substrate
material, tint and mirror, all
available in several colors and styles.
Not to mention several specialty coatings to add
panache.
There are several choices for substrates.
Generally CR-39 is the easiest to work with. If
safety is a concern, polycarbonate is the best
choice and it is high index to boot. Glass is the
most durable material, ideal for abusive
environments like car floors and the bottom of a
purse. If your patient is a fisherman, then
polarized lenses are nearly always required.
Tint color is next. Gray is the most common tint
because it keeps all colors looking the same,
just darker. For any type of driving, brown is the
color because it increases contrast and cuts
through haze the best. That is why truck drivers
always go with a brown tint. Dark green or G15
is a good compromise if patients just cannot
make up their mind. Other colors are used for
different effects, but that's a whole article in
itself.
How dark should they be? For indoor use
anywhere from a 10% to 30% tint is fine.
Indoor/outdoor and driving tints range from
40% to 60%. Going darker than 60% for driving
is not recommended unless the tint is a gradient.
Good outdoor sunglasses
should block 75% to 80%.
Darker tints are available
but only for special uses
such as mountain climbing
or other extreme lighting
conditions.
Tint style can really add
versatility to a pair of
sunglasses. Choices include solid,
gradient and double gradient. Solid is
by far the most common. Gradients
(darkest at the top and lighter at the bottom) let
you combine two tints in the same pair of
glasses. For example, an outdoor tint at the top
and a driving tint at the bottom. Perfect for
convertibles, boats or just plain walking about.
Double gradients are darkest at the top &
bottom and lightest in the middle. They are the
preferred choice for snow or water skiing with
bright sun above and bright reflected light off
snow or water. Yet you can still see where you
are going through the middle.
10455 Seymour, Franklin Park, IL 60131
[email protected]
Phone 847.678.8900
Fax 847.678.8878
www.opticote.com
02
Are your sunglass sales feast or famine?
Mirrors do for sunglasses what lettuce,
tomatoes and cheese do for sandwiches. They
darken the glasses anywhere from 5% to 15%
and add interest with style. Silver accounts for
65% of all mirror colors followed by gold at
about 25%. Blue has become very popular
lately. Other colors include purple, green,
black and multi-color. The choice of mirror
color is cosmetic and should be based on
personal preference.
If you want to make a bold statement, try a
heavy mirror particularly effective with colored
mirrors. Flash mirrors continue to increase in
popularity every year. Many women love the
"je ne sais quoi" effect they produce. That little
something extra that sets them apart but you
just can¡¦t put your finger on what it is. Usually
done in silver or gold.
Just like tints, mirrors come in solid, gradient
and double gradient. They are also used the
same way but do not have to match the tint.
For example, a solid mirror over a gradient tint
is common. Double gradient mirrors over solid
tints is another popular combination.
Secret spices turn a regular sandwich into a
great sandwich. Likewise, there are often
overlooked secrets to making a great pair of
sunglasses. Look closely at any expensive
sunglasses like RevoÆÊ. You will notice the
back side always has a multi-layer antireflection (AR) coating like the OpticoteÆÊ
Illusion. The AR coating reduces the reflections
caused by light coming in the sides of the
glasses and reflecting off the back side of the
lenses. Once you have a pair of sunglasses
with AR on the backside, you will never go
without.
Ultra-violet protection is something patients
can't see but it really adds value. A must for
CR-39 lenses. Remember polycarbonate
already has UV blocking so you don't have to
add it.
Photochromatic lenses also add a special twist
and can make any pair of sunglasses more
versatile. The OpticoteÆÊ Rose Kilimanjaro, for
example, is based on photobrown glass lenses.
Add a rose coating which includes real 24K
gold, plus a double gradient silver mirror and
you have goggles the skiers go "ga ga" over. The
rose functions similar to a brown tint
(increasing contrast so moguls stand out), but it
is not as harsh and it is easier to adapt to. In
addition to UV reduction, the gold also
reduces infra-red emissions. That's why the
face shields for NASA astronauts are coated
with gold. The double gradient keeps away
sunlight and snow reflections. Yet you still get
good visibility ahead. The photochromatic
lenses automatically adjust to suit lighting
conditions from dawn to dusk. And, glass
lenses are tops for withstanding the thermal
stress of going from fireplace to snow that can
cause some coatings to crack and come off.
Sunglass sales, feast or famine?
If your customers are bored with the same old
bologna sandwich, find out what they like to
do. Create a special ¡§sunglass sandwich¡¨ just
for them. They will appreciate the attention
plus the added performance and comfort.
Good sunglasses are not cheap, but people do
not mind paying for quality when they can see
the difference.
10455 Seymour, Franklin Park, IL 60131
[email protected]
Phone 847.678.8900
Fax 847.678.8878
www.opticote.com