MANILA, Philippines - How would you like a pair of sunglasses with lenses that are ultra-light and thin, yet impact-resistant and blocks 100 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays? The NXT Rx sunlenses made with Trivex material were one of such new premium products exhibited at the first Alliance Optics Group (AOG) seminar and trade show held recently at the Manila Polo Club in Makati. The Trivex material is said to be one of the lightest lens materials on the planet. “The same material can be used both on the lens and the frame simultaneously,” Frederic Lefranc, director Rx sales of PPG Industries, remarks as he twists and turns the pair of ultra-thin sunglasses in his hands, demonstrating its extreme flexibility. It will not break or crack and it is chemical-resistant, he announced before an audience of local opticians and optometrists.
The Alliance Optics Group (AOG) was founded in Europe in 2007 by a young group of experienced managers who sensed the need for an efficient business platform to support the industry by introducing new products, technologies, instruments, marketing tools, and various global and local partners to member shops, Cedric le Bel, CEO of AOG, explains.
Cedric, who is French, together with an English partner, is based in Bangkok, while their two other partners, a German and Danish, are based in Europe. “We are not middlemen, not distributors, and not an association,” he clarifies. What they do is create synergy within the growing network “of motivated and quality-focused eye care professionals.”
“We build on the strength of independent opticians and optometrists worldwide,” says Janelle Barretto-Squires, managing director of AOG in the Philippines. The member shops benefit from the wide choice of quality product brands, new lenses, frames, and Rx solutions from selected partner-suppliers of optical products for better informed customers. They also get merchandising and marketing support as well as global price agreements. “We bring the world’s best practices and provide staff training for superior customer service,” Janelle points out, “which create and drive increased traffic to the stores.”
People have a tendency to focus on price, on the cheapest price and the best discounts, but what is important is to combine all the services, says Cedric. Optical stores have more to offer by way of nice frames, well-fitted lens, and contact lenses. Through more choices that are made available, increased customer purchases are encouraged.
“AOG is launching MultiRent, the spectacle and contact lens sales system for the future,” Cedric notes. The multi-rent system and loyalty program will foster long-term relationship between the store and the customer who benefits from a variety of quality product choices and access to up-to-date information on trends and the latest designs.
A hefty coffee table book on Eye Wear was one of the items that caught our eye at the trade show. Exquisitely put together by Prego and Jim Lyngvild, the tome traces the history of eyewear, a study in style, makeup and fashion shoots through a clever combination of photographs and artworks as well as text, both in English and Danish.
“Glasses can give a face an enormous lift, but can also be as misplaced as graffiti on a Picasso painting,” Lyngvild muses in his introduction.
“The book shows you how to wear glasses,” says Jesper Krog Jensen, Prego sales and marketing manager. The book can also serve as a tool for the store staff so they can assist and serve their customers better. Prego, a Nordic brand that features handmade Danish design, was founded by Jesper’s grandfather, Frands Jensen, in 1966. “Our frames are handmade to a high quality and can be used as regular spectacle frames,” Jesper describes. “In fact, almost all Prego frames can be fitted with prescription sunglass lenses.” All sunglasses are delivered in a protective box with a mirror and micro-fiber cloth.
Kardy Lakhmani of Optoline, which has been on the local market since 1991, exhibited a wide range of high-end brands they carry such as Mont Blanc, Tom Ford, DSquared, Roberto Cavalli, Ferrari, Replay, Kenneth Cole, Everlast, and K-Swiss. With AOG, independent retailers like Optoline can expand their share of the market as they benefit from the world-class and worldwide network of AOG.
Another participant at the trade show, Ottica Corporation, is wholly Filipino-owned. They carry two brands: Biazzo from Germany and their own brand Fury. The locally designed brand is targeted to the sports market, according to Jose Ricardo C. Casas, whose background is in industrial design. Using modern technology, it is lightweight and allows you to change the lenses while using the same frame to suit your particular need, whether at a golf course or in a firing range, for example. With AOG, the Fury brand may soon be found in member stores not only here in the country but also abroad.