The ECP will then check the frame and
lenses with the patient. Only glasses
approved by the optician will be
dispensed.
“What we hope to do is for those consumers who wish to purchase a pair of
glasses online, provide them with a
quality product that is verified by the
ECP and allow the independent ECPs
to share in the profits,” Faibish said.
Opticians will receive 20% of the
net selling price for prescriptions
purchased online and dispensed
at their office.
Because of the partnership with
VerifEyewear, OAC members will
receive an even larger share, at 25%
of the overall selling price.
On top of that, all revenue from additional in-store sales and as a result of
referrals will remain with that office.
"Companies spend huge amounts of
money in marketing and advertising
to bring traffic to their stores. We're
forcing traffic to the ECP's offices
and now is the chance to turn these
consumers into patients and to
increase their business.”
Faibish said web development for
VerifEyewear, which can be found at
www.verifeyewear.com, has been
underway since March.
Several hundred ECP offices have
already signed up to the program.
Any licenced optician in the country
can participate, once approved by
VerifEyewear.
VerifEyewear will sell both designer
and non-branded eyewear. When it
launches, brands like Guess, Carrera,
Kenneth Cole, Swarovski, Timberland
and Diesel will be available for sale.
The brands on offer will change and
increase, he said, as dictated by
demand and trends.
Faibish said he is very excited about
VerifEyewear's launch.
“It's breaking ground. It's a new aspect
to our business. We're excited to be
working with a whole new group of
opticians in the country and help bring
them more business and basically help
the independent optician compete
against the big guys,” he said.
Robert Dalton, executive director of
the Opticians Association of Canada,
said there is no cost for OAC members
to partner with the VerifEyewear
delivery system.
"Many online retailers have chosen to
bypass the services of eye care professionals. The OAC feels this is a way to
harness the conveniences of online
purchases while still maintaining a
standard of care," Dalton said.
He added the optician delivering the
eyewear is then responsible for ensuring
the patient is fitted appropriately and
that their vision care needs are
addressed.
"The OAC feels this is an excellent
way for opticians to leverage the online
eyewear market by driving traffic to
their office," he said.
Dalton believes the OAC's partnership
with VerifEyewear is a win-win for its
membership, which ranges from 3,700
and 5,000 opticians at any given time.
Learn more at www.verifeyewear.com.
40 Optical Prism | September 2015