THE OPTICAL

  store design

Building a Better Optical

Four tips to improve this important part of your practice

SCOT MORRIS, O.D., F.A.A.O., AND VICTORIA STEVENSON, CONIFER, COLO.

In today’s consumer-driven world, there are lots of options for consumers to buy eyewear. What makes them want to buy from you? That’s easy: THE EXPERIENCE!

Walk into your optical and look around. Does it sell, or is it costing you money? Are you still using the same displays you had 10 years ago? Is that pesky light bulb still out? What about that cobweb in the far ceiling corner or the water mark on the carpet? If these sound familiar, a makeover may be in order.

But before you dive headfirst into your redesign, first consider the real purpose of your optical. It’s about creating the right atmosphere to foster a relationship between the consumer and your business for a lifetime. It’s also about making the best work environment for your staff, so they can concentrate on the consumer.

So, whether you’re goal is to do a little spring cleaning or a complete overhaul, here are a four points to consider.

1 Let it flow

As you begin to design your “new” optical, consider the current flow of the consumer experience. Where do they want to walk? Where do they look? Are your frames easy to reach, so consumers can touch and try them on?

To achieve the ideal flow, create an environment where consumers feel comfortable browsing by themselves. This includes the opportunity to touch, feel and see the merchandise on their faces. At the same time, the flow should make it convenient for your staff to bring them through the process quickly and efficiently.

One often forgotten aspect of store design is to keep your staff in mind. As we think about how consumers flow through the office, we also need to think about how the flow affects the consultative staff. Do they have all the things they need to do their jobs close at hand (and out of the consumer’s view)?

Put their workspace near the consumer but not visible to the consumer. By doing this, you allow your sales staff easier and more efficient access to the consumer and whatever requests they may have. Place the dispensing area close to the door so consumers don’t have to travel all the way across the office to pick up their new pair of glasses. Also, keep all the tools that a dispensing optician may need, including lensometer, tablet and transactional devices, close at hand.

An “edutainment” area that highlights the advantages of different frame styles and materials, as well as the stories behind the various brands provides staff convenience, while peaking consumer interest. Depending on your space, this may be a centralized area or small areas throughout your retail area.

For inspiration, visit your favorite stores. Well-designed shopping spaces typically have lots of wide-open space, so customers have room to comfortably browse the shop floor and look at the merchandise.

2 Foster consultative relationships

Instead of “salespeople,” consumers should be welcomed by fashion consultants (opticians) whose job is to help validate the consumers’ choices and educate them about what benefits they may get from any specific piece of eyewear.

To foster this consultative relationship, have your consultants ask scripted questions about the consumer’s preferences and lifestyles, such as “What are your hobbies?”

Next, have the consultant lead the consumer through the “edutainment” area to discuss the frame and lens combination that would best fit his needs, based on his answers.

Treating the selection process as a partnership instead of a pushy sales pitch makes consumers feel like their concerns and needs are addressed and helps to illicit trust and strengthen the consumer-business relationship.

3 Utilize technology

Incorporating virtual try-on technology via a stand-alone machine or an app is an upgrade that can make a big difference for both consumers and staff. The reason: This technology, which allows consumers to take pictures of themselves in various frame styles so that they can see what they look like, or even send to a friend for a second opinion, helps to enhance the selection process for them.

To enhance the experience further, these digital devices should provide access to all the offerings of your carried brands, not just the styles you offer in-store. Many frame manufacturers offer apps for this purpose. Another option is to host them on your practice website where you have tailored the brand stories to incorporate your own business messaging.

Ultimately, you want to give consumers options while also simplifying their shopping experience by making the store more intuitive and the brands more attractive. Remember, most consumers are adept at shopping online and have become accustomed to shopping on their time and their terms. Incorporating technology, including interactive displays that utilize print media and multimedia, allows consumers to feel comfortable learning in the medium that they choose.

Make product selection a partnership instead of a sales pitch.

4 Shorten transaction/checkout process

There is nothing worse than a consumer excited about his purchases who then must wait in line for five to 10 minutes to pay for his order. Strive to make the transactional process two minutes or less. To accomplish this, consider the number of free and prescription-based point-of-sale platforms available that allow businesses to accept payments and process orders via tablets and mobile devices, and then e-mail the receipt to the consumer. These devices keep the transactional process out of sight — and, hopefully, out of mind — during the selection process, which, again, puts the focus on the experience instead of the sale.

Reframing your optical

As you design your new optical, keep your consumers and how they want to shop at the forefront of your decision making. Create the right atmosphere to foster the relationship between the consumer and your business. OM

	Dr. Morris is chief optometric editor for OM. He is the director of Eye Consultants of Colorado and managing partner of Morris Educating and Consulting Associates. E-mail him at smorris@eccvvision.com.
	Ms. Stevenson is a marketing assistant at Morris Educating and Consulting Associates. To comment on this article, visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment.