It’s March and springtime is around the corner which has put me in a BIG sunwear mood!  People have written hundreds of articles and advice columns on the importance of sunwear and almost all of them are right on point.  Sunwear is an essential part of any buying strategy and, of course, any luxury strategy.

Here are some top reasons to make sunwear an important part of YOUR strategy:

• DIVERSITY – Sunwear rounds out your total frame assortment and offers more choice to your patient/consumer.
• DON’T GIVE IT AWAY – Sunwear is EASY MONEY for you.  Consumers are buying sunwear.  It is a hot fashion accessory and gets a ton of press, especially when celebrities wear the latest trend.  You already have the consumer in your office. Don’t let them leave and give that money to another retailer.
• POINT OF VIEW/TELL YOUR STORY – Sunwear is the HOT accessory of the moment.  Sunwear can help you in your merchandising strategy and help you develop a unique point of view in your store/practice.  When creating your point of view, sunwear is the item that will best illustrate the story you want to tell.  If you want a sports theme – you can show sport sunwear. If you want a high fashion theme, sunwear will illustrate this for you.  And of course if you want to tell a luxe story, what better way than with great luxury sunwear?
• IMPULSE PURCHASES – Most people come to their ECP for eyeglasses.  Very few specifically come for sunwear.  As a fashion accessory, sunwear is an impulse purchase.  If you have a great selection and have developed a trusted bond with the patient/consumer, you have the inside track to sell them that great sunglass before they walk out the door.
• MULTIPLE PAIR SALES – related to everything we have said above…  It is very hard to attract new patients/consumers to your store/practice.  The best way to increase revenue is to increase per-patient revenue.  They are already there!  Sell them that multiple pair.
• EYE HEALTH – This is probably the MOST important reason to have a sunwear strategy.  We are in the eyecare business as well as the fashion accessory business.  We all know the importance of protecting one’s eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.  We are doing ourselves and our patients/consumers a disservice if we do not stress the importance of sunwear as it relates to health and wellness.

And visit the culture corner to see the latest books I have been reading.