A practice owner with extensive experience of Tokai Optical’s products and lens philosophy explains how the two have fuelled growth in his business.
When Giulio Gerace opened Reel Optics on Queensland’s northern Gold Coast in late 2024, he knew exactly which lens manufacturer would form the backbone of his dispensing philosophy.
It was the same company he had championed years earlier across a larger group of practices – and one he credits with helping him build a reputation for exceptional quality without the premium price tag usually attached.
Gerace’s history with Tokai goes back more than a decade, originating in his former role as operations manager for another company.
At the time, it was juggling suppliers, facing pressure to choose between high-end offerings and more affordable entry-level lines.
“One of the suppliers had made a rule where stores had to choose between their high-quality products and their entry-level range – you could only have one or the other,” he recalls. “Some of our partners didn’t want to be boxed in like that, so we started looking at alternatives.”
That search led to Japan and Tokai Optical. What began as a trial quickly grew into a major part of the company’s dispensing strategy, with Gerace spearheading the transition.
“We couldn’t find anyone else who hit the sweet spot – the Japanese lenses are just really good,” he says.
“The coatings are high quality, the materials are thinner. When we trialled some other lenses at the time, it was a step down. When we tried others, they were too expensive. Tokai made sense.”
His role soon expanded into training staff across the group in Tokai’s ordering system – a process that required not just learning a new product suite, but translating Japanese manufacturing philosophy into a Western optical context.
“Tokai hadn’t westernised their ordering system the way other big suppliers had,” he explains. “Japanese dispensers are highly trained and the system assumes a level of technical understanding. So part of my job was turning what the lab needed into instructions our team could follow.”
The work paid off. At its peak, Gerace estimates that as much as 78% of the company’s lens volume came from Tokai.
New practice, same philosophy
Today, Reel Optics sits in the suburb of Helensvale, on the border of Hope Island – an area known for its older, financially secure demographic of retirees, self-funded superannuants and long-term locals.
The practice itself is lean: Gerace manages dispensing, operations and customer care, supported by two optometrists consulting six days a week.
The pathology load is comparatively low. “It’s a healthy area. You don’t see the level of pathology you might see in some other places. We get the standard conditions, a bit of diabetes here and there, but nothing too dramatic,” he says.
It is, however, an environment where patients value longevity and quality – and that has helped to inform Gerace’s product strategy.
So when he opened Reel Optics, there was never a question – “Tokai would be my primary supplier.”
Today, around 80-90% of Reel Optics’ lenses come from Tokai. Other suppliers are technically available but rarely used.
Gerace stocks a full range of 1.60 index lenses as his everyday starting point, but much of his enthusiasm centres on several of Tokai’s distinctive technologies.
At the top of that list is Lutina – Tokai’s UV-absorbing material that the company says blocks approximately 94% of high-energy violet light.
“Lutina is a game-changer for a lot of people,” he says. “It’s excellent for anyone with a family history of macular degeneration. It gives you those protective benefits without supplements, and even more with them.”
It also comes with a personal story.
“I started wearing Lutina lenses about 15 years ago, even before I had a prescription. I was getting migraines four or five days a week. When I wore Lutina lenses, the migraines stopped.
I’ve basically worn them ever since.”
He says many of his patients have similar experiences. “There’s a real health benefit there. When people switch into it, they notice.”
The Lutina photochromic range has become a core part of his dispensing toolkit.
“Their photochromic series is fantastic – and very well-priced. The health implications combined with the convenience make it an easy recommendation, and the pricing is similar to or even a little cheaper than some other options.”
Another major factor is durability. As evidence, Gerace points to a patient he saw recently: “She walked in wearing the lenses I sold her seven years ago. Seven years. And the coating was still in great condition. She didn’t even need new glasses.”
Consistent craftsmanship
Tokai’s emphasis on precision isn’t just marketing, he says.
It plays out in the day-to-day reliability of the products he receives from Japan.
“As a premium lens supplier – and this is part of their branding in Japan – there’s an actual standard behind it,” he explains. “Their tolerances for power, thickness and coating consistency are very good.”
This extends to fully cut lenses as well. “When we trace a frame and order from Japan, the thickness calculations are incredibly accurate – usually within a tenth of a millimetre. If I ask for a 1.5 mm edge thickness for a plus-four going into a nylon rim, I know I’ll get it. If it came back thinner, I couldn’t groove it, I’d have to remake it.
“But with Tokai, the precision is there every time. I don’t even think about it anymore. It’s just always right.”
The combination of premium quality paired with a non-premium price point is no accident, says Tokai Australia general manager Justin Chiang.
It’s built into the company’s identity, shaped by decades of Japanese lens craftsmanship and a commitment to accessibility.
“Tokai is deeply rooted in Japanese manufacturing philosophy,” Chiang says. “Precision, detail and the pursuit of perfection are part of how the lenses are designed.
“But equally important to us is making sure people can access those benefits at a fair price.
“We don’t believe superior optics should only be available to people willing to pay top-tier premiums.”
He says this philosophy resonates strongly in Australia, where practices like Reel Optics use Tokai’s value proposition to differentiate themselves.
“We see a lot of independents who want to offer patients something truly premium, but who don’t want pricing to become a barrier. That’s where Tokai fits in – premium, but sensibly priced.”
Driving growth, loyalty
For Gerace, that value alignment has translated directly into business growth and patient retention – even across different practices and brands.
“I’ve had people track me down years after leaving my earlier company, coming into Reel Optics saying, ‘You sold me those lenses and they were the best I’ve ever had – I want them again’.”
In a competitive market, that matters.
“Having a product that genuinely performs – that stays clear, thin and scratch-free for years – becomes a referral driver. People tell their friends. They remember where they got their lenses.”
And that, he says, is ultimately what Tokai enables him to offer: dependable quality that patients experience every day, paired with pricing that doesn’t push them into compromises.
“Tokai really does sit in that sweet spot. You get all the benefits of a premium product, without the premium price. From a business perspective – and for patient outcomes – that’s huge.”
