In The Press
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Daily Telegraph, 17/01/07 Bargain specs raise hackles OPTOMETRISTS aren't happy about it but for those who shudder at the cost of buying a new set of specs, the emergence of an online retailer offering substantial discounts is nothing but good news. GlassesOnline claims to save customers $140 on the same glasses which sell for over $300 in regular shops. "Glasses don't cost much to make, it's the shops that keep the prices sky high," says GlassesOnline founder Kevin Reece. The former IT account manager discovered how much money could be saved on a pair of glasses after his fiancee baulked at paying $300. "Some fairly careful digging around revealed the answers," he says. The idea to start a business selling glasses cheaply came next. "The difference between the cost of making glasses and the shop price was significant enough to validate the business model." Launched in February 2006, GlassesOnline now sells about 400 pairs of spectacles a month. There are 70 frames to choose from on the www.glassesonline.com.au website, and the company has recently added a range of designer frames to the collection from Timberland, French Connection, CAT and Replay. "The designer glasses complement our current range and offer more choice for those seeking a particular brand or frame model," Mr Reece says. "We expect the designer brands to naturally attract a more fashion conscious audience but many of the brands have broad appeal. "We're really just extending the price benefits to a wider audience." Mr Reece says he didn't expect a warm welcome from optometrist shops and he was right. "We've had some interesting calls from optometrists who for obvious reasons don't like us telling everyone glasses don't cost much to make," he says. But Mr Reece says ophthalmologists are quick to refer people to the site. At GlassesOnline, you can buy a complete pair of designer glasses -- which includes the frame, lenses, case and micro-fibre cloth -- for $195. All customers need to provide are the prescription and measurements so the glasses can be made to fit. Eye tests are free through Medicare every two years and optometrists must, by law, provide you with a clear, readable copy. It's up to the customer where they then buy their glasses. GlassesOnline has been growing fast primarily by word of mouth and glasses are being sold around Australia. Mr Reece says one of the initial challenges in starting up the company was to make the process of buying the glasses as simple as possible because people don't typically buy prescription glasses online. Customer confidence has had to be earned over time. Mr Reece says he spent a lot of time making the website easy to use. "The process of buying glasses online is very straightforward so we needed to ensure the customer experience reflected this." Kevin says his new life as a business owner is very different to working for someone else. "The level of emotional involvement is so much greater," he says. "I love it." His goal for the business is to be the first place people look when buying glasses. "It's a big objective but we have such a huge price advantage over the shops so why not," he says. "The optometrist shops have got away with charging such high prices because for most of us, the process of making glasses is a complete mystery. "We have been paying a fortune for what is essentially a bit of metal and plastic." |
