CLINICAL

  optical

Rethink Your Frame Boards

Five steps to more detailed optical management.

DAVE ZIEGLER, O.D.

Do you have a precise method for managing your frame boards? Through proper frame board management, you reduce inventory costs, have a balanced inventory and can control the frames you offer.

Here’s how to improve your frame board management.

1 Determine an appropriate number of frames.

If you display too many frames, patients have more choices than they want/need, and you tie up excessive cash in inventory.

Find your optimal number of frames by looking at how many times each frame sells in a year. Divide the number of frames you sold last year by your intended frame turn (a frame turn of three is respectable). For example, if you sold 1,500 frames and want a frame turn of three, you should display 500 frames.

2 Allocate board space for each vendor.

By displaying frames by vendor, each collection draws the patient’s eye.

Determining the number of frames you want from each vendor comes down to the positioning of your practice (e.g. high end, middle of the road, discount).

Once you’ve determined a total from each company, stick to it. Frame reps want you to add more of their frames to your boards, but this could come at the expense of another company’s frames.

When you decide on any given frame company, choose multiple colors of their best sellers, which increases sales more than having every frame style.

We have created a map of our boards that shows where each vendor is located and the number of spots allocated for that brand. The map keeps the different frame collections organized by brand and enables us to see how deep we are in a particular line of frames so that we maintain a good selection. Also, the map allows our frame reps to see their allocated space and replace products that aren’t selling. This also helps us.

3 Have an adequate price distribution.

Without some restraint, it can be easy to add a lot of high-end lines at the expense of more affordable frames. To some extent, you must provide a large range of prices while staying true to your practice’s vision and value statement. But keep your target audience and their price range in mind for each company’s products.

Also, bring in a new collection that costs twice as much as your most expensive frame. This makes your current frame selection look more accessible to patients, helping to increase sales.

4 Mix your displays.

Too many rows and columns can be difficult on patients’ eyes. Find ways to display fewer frames on pegs and more on shelves, which allows you to add interesting props or POP pieces to attract patients.

5 Keep best sellers on the board.

Print a list of all frames that sell each week, and reorder them. Keep just enough frames in stock to replenish the ones that sold that week. This reduces your inventory expense, as you eliminate the number of frames not on display.

Optimal merchandising

Your frames’ styles have to appeal to many age groups, varying face shapes and sizes, as well as different budgets. Displaying the right mix is crucial to your optical’s success. OM

DR. ZIEGLER IS A SENIOR PARTNER IN A GROUP PRIVATE PRACTICE IN MILWAUKEE, WISC., AND A FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPTOMETRY. E-MAIL HIM AT DAVEAZIEGLER@GMAIL.COM, OR SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.