framed
The
independent
advantage
Opticians Amy Annett and her father Dave Oatman.
By Denis Langlois
Elgin Optical in St. Thomas, Ont.,
is truly a family-run operation.
Established in 1981, the practice
is operated by David Oatman,
who has 45 years of experience
in the optical industry, as well as
his daughter Amy Annett, who
followed in her father’s footsteps
and has been a licenced optician
since graduating from Georgian
College in 2001.
The business, which is located in
Elgin Mall, offers eye examina-
tions along with eyeglasses and
contact lens dispensing.
Two optometrists, Dennis Modes-
to and Jeffrey Drexler, reception-
ists June Whitcroft and Pat Bas-
sett, lab technician Lauren York
and frames stylist Pam Johnston
also work at Elgin Optical.
Amy Annett recently spoke with
Optical Prism about Elgin Optical,
the benefits of owning an inde-
pendent eyewear shop and what
the future holds for the company.
50 Optical Prism | September 2017
Q. What kind of clientele does your store service?
A. We service all clientele. We have a wide variety frames to accommo-
date any taste. We also offer a large selection of safety glasses, sport
glasses, children’s frames and prescription sunglasses. We also offer
a mobile service to hospitals and nursing homes in the area.
Q. What are the primary brand names your store features?
What are your most popular styles?
A. We carry a large variety of designer frames, including Oakley, Nike,
Armani, Coach, Ray-Ban, Silhouette, Lacoste, Versace, Guess, Easy
Clip, Fysh and Bebe. Our most popular style this summer would be a
deeper frame with a strong impact. Retro styles seem to be the way to go
this season. Lots of colour and even some print.
Q. What kind of marketing tools do you use?
A. We have a Facebook page, Yellow Pages ad and an updated website.
We also have a lawn billboard that we use to market our current sales.
Q. What are some of the benefits of operating an independent outlet?
A. One of the benefits of operating an independent business definitely
would be the ability to hand pick all of our frames. We sit down with all
our sales representatives and choose what styles we would like to carry
and what we think our store needs. We are also able to use local suppli-
ers that maybe big box stores wouldn’t have access to. It’s nice being part
of a close knit community that likes to support local independent
businesses and suppliers.
Q. Are there any changes or plans for the future for the store?
A. We are excited to welcome a new optometrist to our team, Dr. Riyad
Khamis this summer. We have recently done some renovations and
plan on staying in our location for many years to come.