Eyeglasses.com Blog

‘Kids’

Summer School: Pics and Match: 1. White can be right. 2. Brows show you how. 3. Sport shades can be a scary game face. 4. Tiny earring with big’n’bold temple. 5. Ray Ban’s the Man. 6. Blonde ambition (20/20loves her). 7. Fade to amber. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By James Spina)

To round out its comprehensive collection of children’s eyewear, ClearVision Optical launches Digit, an all-new kids’ line targeted to boys and girls between 6 and 12. Included are six styles made of metal, including stainless steel, acetate and a combination of metal and acetate. Colors range from grape, strawberry, blue, brown and teal to mixes of purple/teal, brown/pink, blue/green and brown/navy with such details as butterflies, cut-out stars, bubbles, stripes and flames. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology.) Photographed by Black Box Studios PHILOSOPHY: “Digit delivers fresh, hip and playful eyewear to kids and tweens who often use fashion to declare their individuality,” says ClearVision brand manager Pamela Elfreich. “The collection is filled with cool, trendy designs that look a lot like adult styles, but in fun color combinations and exciting shapes that let them be kids. They will love wearing Digit eyewear whether they’re in school or hanging out with their friends. Digit delivers high-end styling at a reasonable price point, making it a stand out.” INSIGHT ClearVision also offers five additional brands targeted to children: IZOD Boys for active boys 8 to 14; Op Kids, sporty styles reflecting the California lifestyle for tweens 8 to 14; Jessica McClintock Eyewear for Girls, romantic, feminine styles for girls 6 to 14; Koodles, eyewear that is high in style and low in price for boys and girls 6 to 11; and Fisher-Price, designed by pediatric optical specialists for children from 6 months to 6 years.

Chalk and chalkboard images © Photodisc/Getty Images The kids are cute. The eyewear is adorable. The POP is fun. But kids’ eyewear is not just fun and games. It’s serious business and an essential part of the optical market. The buying power of kids and the parents who buy for them is huge. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Gloria Nicola) According to respondents to 20/20’s Kids’ Eyewear MarketPulse Survey 2011, children from infancy to 14 years old represented 15 percent of their customer base in the past year, the same as in the previous year. Children’s eyewear and related products also accounted for 15 percent of total gross dollar sales for survey participants—the same as it has since 2008. But perhaps reflecting some improvement in the economy, 31 percent indicated an increase in total gross sales from children’s products in the past year versus five years ago, a slight increase from the 28 percent reported last year; 11 percent of the respondents said they saw a decline, down from 18 percent in 2010. Also according to the 2011 survey, 47 percent of the reporting retailers said their average children’s complete eyewear retail sale per patient has increased in the past year versus five years ago. Only 8 percent indicated a decline. Interestingly, the median retail sale ($129) for kids’ frames (excluding exams, lenses and lens treatments), has remained the same since 2009 for survey respondents. On the other hand, the median retail price for children’s spectacle lenses, which remained steady at $100 between 2006 and 2009,  climbed to $105 in 2010 and rose again this year to $110. PRODUCT PRIORITIES What’s selling to this market? With lenses, the material of choice is clearly polycarbonate—undoubtedly as a result of eyecare professionals’ ongoing efforts to inform parents about the necessity of impact-resistant materials. Of those surveyed, more than half (54 percent) reported polycarbonate lenses comprised a greater proportion of total children’s eyewear dollars than they did five years ago; only 8 percent reported a decrease. In addition, 50 percent of participants reported a decrease over the past five years in the sale of standard plastic lenses for children; 5 percent cited an increase. With frame materials, we continue to see a shift toward plastic, following the trend in the adult market. Metal is still generally preferred for children because of its easier adjustability. But plastic has been showing substantial gains in kids’ eyewear sales. Of those surveyed this year, 57 percent reported an increase in frame dollar sales attributed to plastic materials in the past five years, a substantial increase over the 47 percent citing an increase last year, and up sharply from 29 percent cited in 2006. Only 15 percent reported an increase in dollar sales from metal frames, a major decline from the 55 percent indicated in 2006. Another growth area in the children’s market and a very important one is in protective sport eyewear—again influenced both by eyecare professionals’ ongoing efforts to inform parents about the necessity of protective eyewear and also the increasing interest in sport eyewear among adults. The vast majority of retailers surveyed, 90 percent, reported selling protective sport eyewear to children. Additionally, 79 percent said they dispense contact lenses to kids—an option especially for children active in sports. Although not as dominant as in the adult market, branded names are another category that has an impact on the kids’ market. Those participating in the children’s survey reported 30 percent of their total children’s frame sales was in branded/licensed frames, up from 25 percent in 2010. Twenty-seven percent of the respondents said the percentage of their total children’s frame dollar sales volume attributed to branded/licensed frames was up compared with five years ago. For 59 percent, the frame dollar sales volume stayed the same. Other findings also confirmed branding does play a role in the children’s market. Of those surveyed, 44 percent said name brands were very important to their child patients; an additional 44 percent reported that brands were somewhat important. However, only 24 percent cited brands as being of major significance to the parents. FACING THE CHALLENGES An area that would definitely benefit by taking more direction from the adult market is sunwear. Unfortunately, despite the necessity of sun protection for every age group, selling sunwear to kids continues to be a challenge for ECPs. Indeed 53 percent of respondents cited it as a major challenge. An additional 40 percent viewed it as a minor challenge and only 7 percent said it was no challenge at all. The main reason for these findings is undoubtedly parents’ reluctance to spend money on eyewear likely to be lost or forgotten. Fortunately, there is some good news. Of those surveyed this year, 81 percent said they sell sunwear to children and 92 percent dispense frames with photochromic lenses to kids. In fact, photochromics were the favored sun option for children with 68 percent of this year’s respondents reporting it was the sunwear product they sold most to children—no doubt because it doesn’t involve buying another frame and is also at lower risk for being lost since the eyewear does not have to be removed when inside. Although only 15 percent of the participants indicated Rx sunwear complete was the sun product sold most to kids, this is a decided increase from the 6 percent cited last year. Plano sunglasses and sun clips were the sun products dispensed the most to children by just 13 percent and 5 percent, respectively, of the survey respondents.

(Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By James Spina)

Based on the success of the That’s So Raven children’s eyewear collection, Revolution Eyewear launches Toy Story. A beloved character franchise, “Toy Story” is a favorite among children from two to 11, but also has cross-generational appeal. The new collection caters to the two- to 11-year-old demographic with 12 styles—five for girls and seven for boys. Shapes consist of ovals, rectangles, rounds and squares in metal and zyl. Colors range from bright primary hues to tortoise and metal tones. Three-dimensional character embellishments and colorful patterns enhance the temples. Some styles are equipped with cable temples. Photographed by Ken Lee/Black Box Studios Based on the success of the That’s So Raven children’s eyewear collection, Revolution Eyewear launches Toy Story. A beloved character franchise, “Toy Story” is a favorite among children from two to 11, but also has cross-generational appeal. The new collection caters to the two- to 11-year-old demographic with 12 styles—five for girls and seven for boys. Shapes consist of ovals, rectangles, rounds and squares in metal and zyl. Colors range from bright primary hues to tortoise and metal tones. Three-dimensional character embellishments and colorful patterns enhance the temples. Some styles are equipped with cable temples. INSIGHT “Toy Story 3” is currently the highest grossing animated film of all time worldwide.

Transitions Optical Teams With National Council of Negro Women to Promote Eye Health Education Transitions Optical announced that it is working with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) to raise awareness about the importance of proper vision care and vision wear among the African-American community. The photochromic lens maker said NCNW, a national, non-profit organization whose mission is to lead, develop and advocate for women of African descent, is “a natural partner” for its “Healthy Sight for Life: Focus on African-American Eyes” campaign, which launched at the NCNW Black Family Reunion Celebration on September 11 in Washington, D.C. This event, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, attracted an estimated 250,000 consumers. (Article reprinted with permission from Jobson Publishing at 20/20 Lenses & Technology. By Andrew Karp.) “As part of our ongoing multicultural outreach efforts, we are pleased to be able to work with NCNW to provide valuable eye health education to the African-American community,” said Manuel Solis, multicultural marketing manager, Transitions Optical. “Participating in the Black Family Reunion was a great start to our campaign, and we look forward to generating national awareness about vision care among this community with the support of NCNW.” During the Black Family Reunion event, Transitions Optical provided free vision screenings at its booth in the Health & Wellness Pavilion in partnership with optical retailer, America’s Best. Transitions also provided free eye health education throughout the event with a presentation at the pavilion by Vincent Young, M.D., chairman of the Division of Ophthalmology at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, and by distributing materials— including its new “What to Expect: African-American Eyes” brochure—there and at the Transitions-sponsored mobile clinic named Eyenstein, located on the National Mall. Eyenstein, a full-service mobile eyecare clinic, is the newest addition to the VSP Vision Care Mobile Eyes program and is a partnership between VSP and Transitions Optical. The Eyenstein clinic also visited the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington D.C., providing free comprehensive eye exams and Transitions lenses to community members. More than 225 adults and children benefited from the screenings over the weekend, and nearly 75 appointments for comprehensive eye exams were scheduled. Seiko Optical Announces Winners of Free-Form Stimulus Promotion Seiko Optical Products announced the winners of its 2010 Free-Form Stimulus Promotion. The promotion, held in partnership with Seiko’s authorized independent laboratory network, ended in June. The grand prize, a $5,000 Hawaiian vacation, was awarded to Kevork Tinkjian, from Custom Eyes of Cambridge, Mass. (US Optical). The second prize, a flat-screen television, was presented to Cindy Biancamano of Optics Unlimited in Groton, Conn. (Luzerne Optical). The third prize, a $500 gift card, went to Cody Freeman of Lovejoy Opticians in Portland, Ore. (Laramy-K). Scratch-off cards offered additional cash prizes and the chance to win Seiko watches. Harbor Optical Offers Shamir Autograph II Lenses Harbor Optical of Traverse City, Mich. has become the latest Shamir partner lab to offer Shamir Autograph II Freeform lenses. “Our Lab Launch team worked closely with Harbor Optical’s team to prepare for the Autograph II launch by providing the educational background, support and collateral needed for a prosperous launch. Shamir and Harbor Optical have had a very successful relationship for over a decade, and with the release of Shamir Autograph II it’s certain that Harbor Optical will experience continued growth and success,” said Lance Bergeron, vice president of sales for Shamir Insight. Shamir’s Autograph II line is digitally back-surfaced, allowing both the Rx and the design to be ground on the back-side of the lens. This technology enables each Shamir Autograph II lens to be produced with an accuracy of up to 1/100 diopters. With five different designs, each patient is ensured Autograph II lenses personalized to their specific lifestyle needs, and by grinding the design on the back-surface, patients receive up to 20 percent wider fields of vision, according to Shamir. The lenses are available with Shamir’s As-Worn Technology and FreeFrame Technology, and are fine-tuned for each patient by taking additional measurements and frame selection into account in the design.

SÁFILO SIGNS WITH TOMMY HILFIGER » Sàfilo Group and the Tommy Hilfiger Group have signed a global eyewear licensing agreement valid until 2015 with an optional five-year extension. This agreement is for the exclusive design, development, production and distribution of Tommy Hilfiger ophthalmic and sunglass products. The sunglass collection will be available in Tommy Hilfiger boutiques, department stores and sunglass specialty stores in the U.S. as of November 2010, followed by the ophthalmic collection and the sunglass collection for the optical market in January 2011. PALM OPTICAL’S NEW BUZZ » North Miami Beach, Fla.-based Palm Optical has created a new division called “Buzz” to complement its high-fashion, high-end Ultra division, which includes Cazal and Caviar. Buzz will offer trendy, well-made product at more affordable price points and will launch early this year. MIKLI TAKES STAKE IN VUARNET » Alain Mikli International has taken a 75 percent equity stake in Sportoptic Pouilloux, the owner and developer of the Vuarnet sunwear brand. Mikli will redevelop the Vuarnet collection and broaden its reach via a new series of products featuring authenticated Vuarnet special-purpose lenses from the company’s own French factory and updated designs targeting the ski, nautical and water sports markets with a new collection, Vuarnet par Mikli, to debut in September 2010. MARCOLIN RENEWS CAVALLI LICENSES » The Marcolin Group and the Roberto Cavalli Group announce the advanced renewal of the licensing agreements for the design, production and worldwide distribution of ophthalmic frames and sunglasses in the Roberto Cavalli Eyewear and Just Cavalli Eyewear collections through December 31, 2015. ZOOBUG COMES TO U.S. » U.K.-based Zoobug, a children’s eyewear specialist, has signed a distribution agreement for the U.S. with AccessUrEyez Eyewear, which takes effect immediately. Zoobug offers children’s sunglasses (pictured) and ophthalmic frames.

The statistics are daunting: one in every 91 children in the United States is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), an organization dedicated to supporting, empowering and educating families dealing with autism, believes that appropriate medical interventions, traditional therapies and support services can help many children improve and even recover from the disease. TACA helps strengthen the autism community by connecting families with professional assistance.

Oakley wants in on the fight against autism. The renowned sports brand has partnered with TACA and has embellished two of their most popular eyewear styles with a puzzle motif, symbolizing the message that the puzzle of autism can be solved. Oakley will donate $20 to TACA with each sale of the special-edition frames, TACA Oakley Fuel Cell and TACA Oakley Ravishing.
Oakley’s established presence in the global market will help bring TACA’s mission to the public’s awareness. “Corporations like Oakley are a wonderful gift to TACA and the families we serve,” says TACA executive director Lisa Ackerman. “Oakley brings powerful influence to foster awareness and visibility of autism. We are grateful for this support and for friends like Oakley.”
And Oakley is no stranger to pairing up for a good cause, having met with great success after designing limited-edition breast cancer awareness frames. “We are honored to team with TACA and play a part in spreading the message of hope,” notes Oakley’s vice president of global sports marketing, Pat McIlvain. “The art on our new TACA special editions will fuel awareness and we are proud to assist in supporting TACA’s ongoing mission to help children with autism reach their true potential.”    

 —-Article reprinted from 20/20 Magazine with permission from Jobson Pubishing.  Written by Melissa Arkin

 

The Pez Just Peachy frame with rubber daisy on temple from A&A Optical.

A&A Optical has released four new frames in their Pez Eyewear collection just in time for the back-to-school season. The new collection features three frames for girls and one unisex frame. The girls’ frames consist of the Show Off, Just Peachy and Sweetheart. Each of the girls’ styles is accented with feminine touches like a raised, rubberized daisy on the Just Peachy frame or multi-colored hearts on the inside of the Sweetheart frame, while the Show Off frame has a slightly rounded eye shape with a laser etched swirl pattern. The unisex frame, Red Rover, is made with A&A’s Twisterz memory metal and can be described as a classic style for both active boys and girls. Each frame is available is a variety of colors and comes with A&A’s “No Questions Asked Lifetime Warranty.” --Article from 2020 Magazine, reprinted with permission of Jobson Publishing.