Eyewear that sells through the practice and makes patients feel great is one of the hallmarks of successful independent optometry practices in Australia. Two business owners discuss how they achieve this through their relationship with Eyes Right Optical.
Starting a greenfield optometry practice is a nerve-wracking time for any new business owner. Aside from getting the equipment and eyewear mix right, there are significant upfront investments – and it often takes a long time before the owners begin to draw a wage.
This was the reality for optometrists and business partners Ms Daniela Scalora and Ms Carole Anjou when they started Anjou & Scalora Optometrists in the leafy Melbourne suburb of Deepdene almost eight years ago.
As an independent, the duo knew they had to curate a balanced frames range that made them standout with colourful and playful designs, but also included classic, best-seller pieces that would provide the stability they needed at such a delicate moment. With previous experience in independent optometry, Eyes Right Optical was their first port of call when it came to their eyewear.
The family-owned firm is one of the leading wholesalers to the independent optical market in Australia and New Zealand, and Anjou & Scalora were particularly keen to begin stocking some key brands like Face à Face, ProDesign and WOOW. The portfolio continues to expand as well, with 2023 additions such as the high-end sustainability brand Project Green, William Morris and Charles Stone.
“The first two brands we took on straight away were Face à Face and ProDesign; we had both worked in other practices where these both performed very well, so we wanted to ensure we continued having a relationship with those brands. We knew that women enjoyed them, they are well-made and they have great reputations,” Scalora says.
But they quickly found the relationship went much deeper than product.
“We were starting a practice from scratch, which effectively meant any money we were putting into the practice was our own. We weren’t taking anything out of the practice and, in fact, it was very exciting the first time we actually paid ourselves which wasn’t for a long time,” Scalora says.
When the owners of Anjou & Scalora Optometrists approached Eyes Right Optical, owned and operated by Mr Mark and Ms Lisa Wymond, the eyewear supplier extended a generous offer that gave the practice extended terms to pay off the initial order. This was a godsend for a new business with significant upfront costs and overheads, with little cash coming in.
“As a new practice seeing patients here and there, it helped us on the path to where we are today. We could have paid it within a shorter timeframe, but it would have put us in a much deeper hole. Because of that, there’s no question we will remain loyal customers to them because they’ve always been really good to us,” Scalora says.
When Anjou & Scalora Optometrists was first established, the practice went with brands and designs they were familiar with, but this has progressively become more colourful over the years as the portfolio supplied by Eyes Right Optical continues to evolve with industry trends.
“With ProDesign we have a trusted, well-known range. Some of those designs have been around for years and they still sell, while every season Face à Face come out with beautiful colours and acetates. Some of these were released at O=MEGA23 in September, even before SILMO Paris, and are gorgeous, so we placed an order,” Scalora explains.
“We’re not the only practice that stocks Face à Face, but we knew we had to have it because there’s a certain woman that’s had that eyewear before and continues to want it because it’s trusted, comfortable and different.”
Beyond product, Eyes Right Optical places an emphasis on aftersales service. Its reps can offer insights into eyewear trends, help practices individualise their frames range and leverages sophisticated IT capabilities. “Their reps know their ranges well, they can tell us the best sellers without even thinking about it,” Scalora says.
Many designs within its portfolio have won awards, including two categories at the recent ODMA Awards for Excellence 2023 (Men’s Optical Frames category, Face à Face Paris – Neonnm, and Sustainability category, Project Green).
Anjou & Scalora Optometrists also appreciate the personal touch in their business dealings. This is largely because Eyes Right Optical is a second-generation family business that was originally established in 1992 by Ms Gaye and Mr David Wymond before being succeeded by their children Mark and Lisa in 2018.
“We also love that brands like Face à Face and ProDesign both are covered by two-year warranties, which we hardly ever have to use,” Scalora says.
“We also appreciate that when we call Eyes Right Optical, we know who we’re talking to. We predominantly work with distributors that are smaller and local, rather than big multinationals, which makes a big difference when you’re running a busy independent practice.”
Staving off the competition with eyewear mix
More than two decades ago, well known Australian optical dispenser Mr Paul Clarke recalls an in-depth industry survey doing the rounds about how the perceptions of optometry. Most considered their optometrist to be clinically-
focused or purely commercial. There was no in-between. But when the results were presented to practice owners in Perth, he asked why a practice couldn’t straddle both spheres.
“Perth was the last destination for this roadshow, and the person who was running the survey said, ‘you’re the first person who has asked me that’, which amazed me,” he says.
“Obviously things have changed now, and for our practice I would proudly say we have managed to embrace both ends. We have a very strong clinical component of the practice with four rooms that are fully booked, sitting alongside an amazing product range focused on kids and the middle to upper end of the market.”
Clarke was there when his practice, Vision West, was founded 38 years ago. He was an employee then but acquired an ownership stake five years later in 1990 and today owns it alongside optometrist Mr John Palassis. Crucial to their success has been the close ties formed with industry suppliers. Clarke says the Australian optical industry is fortunate to have access to high calibre eyewear, equipment, lens and service providers who can support independents to differentiate the services from one another and corporate networks.
“The relationship with suppliers is fundamental for a well-functioning optometry business. Eyes Right Optical would fit into that category of an exceptional supplier, as do several others we do business with,” he explains.
Vision West began its commercial relationship with Eyes Right Optical around 30 years ago. Clarke recalls they first came together at an ODMA Fair. Both businesses were in their infancy, but he was attracted to the company due to its product and the way then-owners Mr David and Ms Gaye Wymond conducted their business. “And now that Mark and Lisa have taken over the businesses, we can tell they have carried on that culture and I think they should be very proud of where they’re taking the business now,” Clarke says.
Vision West’s first big order was placed on ProDesign eyewear, which the practice continues to stock today, alongside Face à Face, WOOW and other brands. Kensie eyewear is also popular among paediatric patients that comprise about 60% of the practice’s patient base.
“Eyes Right have product that fits well with our mix, including some very upmarket eyewear; the Face à Face ranges have featured very well here for a long time, and we have quite a following of patients seeking that eyewear,” he says.
“We look after each other. We always respect them by making sure our accounts are paid on time, and both parties are always polite over the phone. In turn, they are always on hand to offer support and if we need something urgently for a patient, there’s a good possibility their reps will drop in to provide what we are after.”
Located on the street front but part of the Karrinyup Shopping Centre, Vision West has worked hard to gradually build its business, notwithstanding intensifying competition within the centre.
“There are now seven practices located near us that are a mix of corporate and independent, but despite this, we’re not bothered at all by the product they stock,” he says. “That’s because we’ve got standout eyewear and Eyes Right Optical is an integral part of that,” he says.
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