Eyewear has come a long way in terms of technology, style and perception. Glasses are no longer viewed only as tools to correct vision; they are also seen as fashion accessories. This cultural shift in perception is helping to support the thriving optical retail industry.
Glasses have moved from medical necessity to fashion statement.
Everyone from celebrities to actors to athletes can be seen sporting stylish, corrective lenses – the emphasis being on “stylish.” Glasses are modern fashion accessories. With people developing their “personal brands” in person and online, glasses provide another option to help people define themselves.
There’s an additional social benefit to wearing glasses, too. Many people affiliate traits such as intelligence and honesty with people who wear glasses. Those preconceptions have helped propel wearing glasses to the forefront of mainstream culture. Hipsters made wearing glasses cool even for people with perfect vision.
The eyewear industry is growing.
The eyewear industry continues to grow for several reasons, chief among them that the population is aging and more people than ever have vision insurance coverage. The oldest members of the huge millennial generation are approaching 40, when many people tend to need glasses. There is no reason to expect the market to wane as the population continues to get older.
Frames continue to evolve.
As the need for corrective lenses has grown, so has the fashion side of the glasses market, as consumers look for style and brand variety. Frame materials, shapes and textures continue to change. Consumers crave options – from dusted pink trendsetter styles to clear professional frames to modern, gold outlines – and Pearle Vision’s retail side provides all those options. Fashion moves quickly, and Pearle Vision’s frame selection meets medical standards as well as being on trend.
Pearle Vision sells some of the most popular eyewear brands.
Consumers are looking for updated classic shapes as well as modern-looking lenses. They want to appear original and memorable, and the perfect pair of frames can help them achieve that. They can experiment with different personas by wearing different frames. Glasses provide an easy way for someone to change up their look.
Because Pearle Vision is owned by Luxottica, licensed owners have access to an unparalleled supply chain with some of the industry’s most fashionable and popular eyewear brands, including Ray-Ban, Persol and Oakley. That allows Pearle Vision EyeCare Centers to offer customers the variety of options they desire.
Pearle Vision combines vision care and retail.
There’s something special about a franchise that operates at the intersection of healthcare and retail with style. Sara Plumb Petro, a Pearle Vision licensed owner in Tampa, Fla., said, “I love that this industry incorporates fashion, retail and patient care — all things that I enjoy — into one business.”
