Retail Trends

Eyewear Gets a Visible Boost with Omnichannel

2 min read

Most people won’t buy a pair of glasses without trying them on and comparing a few styles first. The ability to offer optical exams and even create glasses on site underscores the distinct advantage of having a physical presence. So it’s no surprise that pure online player Warby Parker chose to open multiple brick-and-mortar stores this year.

Warby Parker will still have to integrate its online and offline presence to keep costs down and manage its omnichannel operations efficiently. Fortunately, the advantages of omnichannel model works both ways, and brick-and-mortar competitors stand benefit in several ways by employing an integrated omnichannel strategy themselves.

Growth Fueled by Fashion and Function

A newly released report by the Research and Markets group predicts the global eyewear market will grow at a CAGR of 7.49% during the period 2017-2021. Growth is this market is driven by the ever-increasing versatility as well as product innovation in the industry.  Product development and innovation have helped companies expand their product portfolio and introduce multiple categories in terms of functionality as well as style.

New materials as well as manufacturing techniques have led to prescription lenses more lightweight and affordable than ever before. As a result, eyewear manufacturers and designers now offer a spectacular range of in new styles, shape, sizes, colors, and structural orientation. Specialized prescription and non-prescription eyewear have gained loyal following the athletic as well as fashion markets.

From Miu Miu to Prada, every high-end fashion label offers its own aesthetic-infused eyewear, while sport companies such as Nike and Adidas have their own eyewear to offer practical features such as solar protection, comfort, and impact resistance.

Essential Omnichannel Capabilities for Optical Retailers

For large retailers like global eyewear retailer Luxottica Group, omnichannel is absolutely essential for achieving the agility required to manage inventory across more than 40 brands, 12 manufacturing facilities, and 9,000 stores across 150 countries.

Omnichannel retail solutions give retailers greater control over larger product assortments.  Merchandise and price changes can be updated, consistent and visible across all stores in real time. This makes it easier to accommodate more styles and product cycles, while responding better to market trends and drive sales with targeted promotions.

Warehousing modules can optimize warehouse operations such as order fulfillment, replenishment, and transport more efficiently. Modern retail solutions such as Openbravo can also support RFID technology, which can be used not only for inventory management but also for brand authentication purposes.

Omnichannel Scenarios Bring the Customer into Focus

When it comes to eyewear, there are many points where omnichannel capabilities can help optical retailers enhance their interaction with customers at various points in the buying journey.

Customers can get an eye exam in one store, find the model they like and purchase them in the store, purchase them online, have them delivered or pick them up later at another store. Once their prescription is on-record, customers can buy online and pick it up in the closest store (BOPIS). Alternately, if they buy online but discover the glasses aren’t quite what they wanted, the item can be returned in stores (BORIS).

With an omnichannel infrastructure in place, stores can focus more on providing better customer service across channels, whether they are selling specialized or prescription eyewear, or both.

Want to know more? Watch a step-by-step demonstration of four essential omnichannel scenarios using Openbravo´s POS solution on November 9, 2017, at 11:30 CEST. Register at Change the Game in Omnichannel with Openbravo Commerce Cloud

 

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