Eyewear Frames:

It's a Material World

DR.T.NIRMAL FREDRICK,
ASST. PROF. OF OPHTHALMOLOGY,
REGIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPHTHALMOLOGY, CHENNAI.
What do the patient want in their frames….

 Survey …….
 What are you looking
for in eyeglass
frames?

 A wide range of
available colors? 256
col?

 Durability? –last
forever….
What do the patient want in their frames….

 Bright and Light on the face?

..Gold favourite

 Hypoallergenic materials?

 A good price? Uniqueness?

 What their favourite star

dons in the serial or
movies…..
 Eyewear materials
 Shell
 Titanium
 Polycarbonate
 Gold
 Polyamide
 Alloys
 Carbon
 Wood
 Metal
 leather
 Plastic
eye wear frames
 cellulose acetate or Zyl -
cost-effective & extremely
lightweight.

 popular - laminated zyl frames

that have layered colors.

 propionate — a nylon-based
plastic that is hypoallergenic..
 Metal eye wear frames…..
 Stainless steel –
alternative to titanium
.
 light weight, low
toxicity and strength

 nickel-free and thus

hypoallergenic.
Metal eye wear frames…..
 Ticral is an alloy of
titanium, copper and
chrome.

 nickel-free and
hypoallergenic.

 lightweight and
durable and
available in a variety
of colors.
 Titanium – exquisite / lasting
 silver-gray metal -
lightweight, durable, strong
and corrosion-resistant.

 Titanium eyewear - variety

of colors for a clean,
modern look

 titanium combo with nickel

and copper.
Aluminum frames
 lightweight and highly corrosion-resistant.
 Aluminum - primarily by high-end eyewear designers
because of the unique look it creates.
 Aluminum - most widely used, nonferrous material.
 commercial aluminum with small amounts of silicon and
iron is hard and strong.
 curious Frame Materials

 Solid silver or sterling silver - often used

as a jewelry-like accent on plastic
frames.
 gold eyewear, typically gold plating
rather than solid gold.
 Semi-precious or precious stones -
Popular choices are onyx and turquoise,
but even diamonds can be used
 Rhinestones - less expensive, used to
create a flashy or retro look, especially
in upturned cateye frames
 curious Frame Materials

 Wood and bone frames

- handmade, one-of-a-
kind pieces that satisfy a
specialty niche.

 unique look and beauty.

 leather – not as durable

or practical as other
materials ...used for
accenting,
Inventory
management &
marketing..

The real bugbear

& rec.. headache…
 Inventory management

 Keep your optical

shop’s bottom line
from looking like a
rollercoaster.

 system should be in
place to restock the
shelves with similarly
priced products

 COMPUTERIZATION
 Computerized control

 inventory management software

NECESSARY -It doesn’t have to be
elaborate

 Modules that go along with your

practice management system can
cost up to Rs.20,000

 If your practice has several locations,

manage under one program.
 Frameboard and vendors
management

 Limit your vendors to 5 to 10

 smaller number of vendors - build a

stronger relationship

 Negotiate good terms and pricing

 Can get fast moving frames easily

 How to get the best deal…
 Buying groups.

 buying a large quantity from one supplier – good

deal – consider group buying

 best price while buying directly from the

manufacturer.

 Shop,compare, ask for discounts for bulk

purchase.

 Bulk purchase more than 150 frames in one type

you can get your logo and brand name
 Inventory management
 Inventory investment must remain
stable.

 easily accomplished with a frame

-for-frame reordering system.

 Implementing a reorder system

 will stabilize the initial investment,
 eliminate stock overages, and
 provide an accurate cost-of-goods
percentage.
Inventory management
two additional factors –
space allocation and patient demographics –

 Do not inventory “back stock” or overstock.

 Overstock is wasted capital.

 inventory should have supply for display only….

 Practice-specific demographic ranges

 age appropriate frame styles

Benchmarking..
 Identify minimum number of jobs to be sold

 BENCHMARK: Recommended old frames and

refixing = 2 to 3 times (25%)

 BENCHMARK: Complete Jobs ( Orders

including both frame and lenses) = 75%

 Inventory levels - based on the recommended

turn ratio of annual frame units sold.
Magic number
 to project an appropriate inventory level
 determine necessary staff requirements

- estimate associated operating expenses &

 estimate projected annual revenue.

No of eye glass prescriptions per month – ‘magic number”

60 to 75% capture rate

Business standards…
Benchmark for profit in optical dispensing

Cost of goods = frames + lenses +

fitting + staff remuneration

1. BENCHMARK: No On-site Lab

= 38-40% COG

2. BENCHMARK: On-site Finishing

= 28-30% COG

3. BENCHMARK: On-site Finishing

& Surfacing = 23-25% COG