TODAY'S TRENDS

The stark reality, whether we like it or not, is that nearly everyone will need some form of vision aid for close up reading by the time they are 50.... and 50+ year olds are the new 25 year olds when it comes to keeping up with trends today! One surprising fact is that on average typical users purchase more than 4 pairs each year!

READY READERS

Whilst consumers may choke at the cost of prescription readers from Opticians, the market for “ready readers” is booming. A consumer might have to pay more than $100 for a pair of reading glasses from an optician which might easily be lost or broken, whereas the comparatively inexpensive ready readers mean that people can afford to take risks with fashionable frames, often buying more than one pair.

CAUTIONARY NOTE!

One cautionary note however, often reported by the likes of Which? Magazine (a renowned consumer choice publication in the UK), is that very cheap readers can be potentially damaging to the eyes and should be approached carefully. The most common fail is that the lenses are not properly tested and the centers of the lenses not correctly positioned which can cause blurred or double vision, head aches and worse! Which? magazine advises people who have a prescription above +2.0  to test ‘ready’ reading glasses for two minutes to check the center points of each lens are aligned correctly.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY

So this growing market represents a great opportunity for Book Stores and Gift Stores to capitalise on this trend with an appropriate offering. Fashionable frames and quality lenses at competitive SRP’s that suit the profile of their customers.