Optical Prism May 2018 | Page 46

framed Passion for fashion By Denis Langlois Optician Sue Randhawa is a self-pro- claimed “fashionista with a passionista.” The owner of The Optical Boutique in the Vancouver neighbourhood of Kerrisdale is deeply involved in the city’s fashion scene, often collaborating with emerging designers on the runway and in editorials and video shoots. Her passion, she says, is helping people to pick out the perfect frames. “I love what I do – selling eyewear is so much more than just letting a client choose a frame. It’s a vehicle for self-expression,” she says. “Fashion has no barriers – it isn’t gender specific nor does it judge based on colour or religion. I look at each person that I fit as an individual and if I can impart a little bit of that on them, I’ll be happy!” Randhawa has 28 years of experience in the optical industry. She started work- ing at See and Save Optical, opened in 1979 by Fred and Almaza Kroeschel, in 1997. A decade later, she purchased the business, later renamed The Optical Boutique. Recently, Optical Prism spoke with Randhawa about her store and the recipe for its success. Q. What kind of clientele does your store service? A. The clientele is quite diverse at The Optical Boutique. Our main demographic is primarily the 60+ age group; well-educated, professional people. Because of our growth on social media, we now have a strong following of the 25+ age group – the newly graduated millennials. Q. What are the primary brand names your store features? What are your most popular styles? A. Our two most popular collections would have to be Anne et Valentin and Theo. We’re a small store with limited board space so I have to be careful with what I choose to carry, but we do very well with Dita, Kirk and Kirk, FaceaFace and Jacques Marie Mage as well. Q. What kind of marketing tools do you use? A. I’ve been very fortunate because I’ve never had to advertise. We take most of the money that we could spend on paid advertising and instead put it back into creating the customer experience. Then we let the customers be our marketing. Our number one growth driver has been from repeat customers who tell their friends about us. There is no better testimonial than word-of-mouth. Q. What are some of the benefits of operating an independent outlet? A. The biggest benefit of operating an independent business is that I have the freedom to make decisions very quickly. This ranges from who I hire, what trade shows to attend and what collections to bring in. OPTICAL PRISM | May 2018 42