The 12-Month Sunglass Season

"How much board space should I dedicate to sunglasses?" is a common and valid question that our team is often asked and is especially relevant when considering seasonally increasing or decreasing board space for sunglasses. Let’s start with why your optical should carry a selection of sunglasses year-round:

Unique Opportunities

Sunglasses offer unique opportunities for your optical business:

• They are a medically necessity for nearly every patient who walks through your door.
• Unlike ophthalmic frames, they are often sold without a prescription.
• They add profits to your bottom line.

UV Rays Don’t Take Vacations

Eye care professionals and patients are more concerned than ever about the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) and blue light rays, and rightly so.  Therefore, all staff — from the front desk to the exam lane to the optical department — should be educated and able to discuss the importance of sun protection with your patients.  An office dedicated to year-round sunglass sales results in healthier patients and an enhanced bottom line.  The great thing about sunglasses is that every person who walks into your business needs them, including kids, contact lens wearers, emmetropes and those who wear prescription eyewear.

Decisions, Decisions

More selection doesn’t always mean more sales.  Consider the following points when determining how many suns to carry and which manufacturers to do business with:

• The geographic location of your practice — are you located on the beach, in a rural area or somewhere that’s more overcast?
• Which frame manufacturers have quality sales representatives that you have strong relationships with?  Consider purchasing sunglass frames from vendors you already do business with and brands that have proven to sell well in your practice.
• Are you over or understocked and how many frames can your boards display? Be conservative with frame purchases, especially sunglass frames.

How Many Sunglass Frames Should I Carry?

Consider the following points before making buying decisions during months when sunglass purchases are top of mind for most patients:

• For most opticals, sunglass frames should account for about 15% of your overall selection. The time of year should not increase sun board space or sunglass frame expenses.
• Most optical departments are overstocked. It is much easier to add frames than it is to remove them — once you get too many frames, it’s often difficult to get back to your designated board space.  
• Sunglass frames turn at a lower rate than their ophthalmic counterparts. Any sunglass frames you add will likely be on your frame boards long after the peak sales season has passed.  This increases your inventory levels and your cost of goods, while lowering your overall frame turn rate.  

With all these points considered, your board should display the same amount of sunglass frames year-round — establish an inventory quantity that makes sense for your optical and stick to it.  Carefully curating your sun selection will avoid the need to increase the amount of sunglass frames you display just because the sun is out.  With your team 100% committed to sun education and recommendation, you will see the benefits year-round.

If you’d like to discuss your board space with one of PECAA’s Optical Business Advisors, book a meeting with Joel here — a complimentary benefit with your PECAA Max membership! Not a PECAA Member? Contact us to learn how PECAA can help your practice thrive.