How Acetate for ‘Plastic’ Frames is Made

Mazzucchelli is the world’s premier maker of high quality zyl, the (cellulose) acetate used in the manufacture of many brand name plastic frames.  Ever wonder how zyl is made?  This video will give you a glimpse into the Mazzuccelli factory and the processes used to make it.

To watch the video on the Vimeo site, click here.

New Smart Contact Lens Approved by FDA

A new study appearing in the journal Ophthalmology shows that electronic signals from a smart contact lens can be used to predict which glaucoma patients may have a faster advancing version of the disease.  “This could be very useful if you want to know whether a new medication is working for a patient,” said study author C. Gustavo De Moraes, M.D., MPH, an associate professor of ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center.  “You can see how their eye is reacting to the therapy in a much more meaningful way.”

Such a smart contact lens has recently been approved by the FDA.  To learn more about the lens and how it works follow this link to an article on the AAO site.

Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology

Congressional Budget Office Predicts Increased Deficits Partially Due to Healthcare Spending

This week, the CBO released its Budget and Economic Outlook Report: 2016-2026 and predicted a growth in the federal budget deficit for the first time in seven years. The report finds that the growth in the deficit is due in part to the omnibus spending bill passed in late 2015 that included a delay of the medical device tax and the so-called “Cadillac” tax on high-value insurance plans, and the repeal of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) earlier in the year. Congress did not fully off-set the cost of either legislation. In response to the release of CBO’s report, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) reiterated his plans to reintroduce his hospital and post-acute care payment reforms, and Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) suggested Congress act on legislation that would reform Medicare, eliminate Medigap coverage, and raise the Medicare eligibility age he originally introduced in 2013, based on budget deficit reduction recommendations from the Simpson-Bowles Commission.

Source: ASCRS

Report: Internet Usage for Eyewear Purchases

The Vision Council Marketing Research Team has recently published its annual article on the usage of the Internet for eyewear purchases among US adults.  The study of 10,343 respondents looked at the shopping and buying habits of consumers.  Some highlights of the article are:

(Please note the difference between ‘shop’ and ‘purchase’)

• 67.0% of consumers use the Internet to some extent when shopping for general retail goods
• 30.7% of recent buyers used the Internet to any extent during their last contact lens purchase
• 22.5% of recent buyers used the Internet to any extent during their last eyeglass purchase
• When purchasing eyeglasses, people tend to use websites operated by known eyeglass retailers
• Younger and more affluent Americans were more likely to use the Internet while shopping for contact lenses and eyeglasses
• Those consumers who do not use the Internet when shopping for eyewear do so primarily because they want to physically try on the frame
• The relationship of trust consumers have with their doctor or optician was a factor that limited their use of the Internet when purchasing eyeglasses
• Less than one-eighth of the American adult population avoided the Internet during their last purchase because of a lack of trust in or belief it is too much of a hassle to use the Internet

Of greater importance, since 2012 more consumers are avoiding the Internet as it relates to optical shopping because they cannot physically try-on eyewear and fewer people are avoiding the Internet because of preconceived notions on the exact type of eyewear they want to purchase.

Source: The Vision Council

Generous return policies increase sales.

Just about every optical shop I know of is looking for ways to increase sales.  Here is a new angle.  According to an article in the Washington Post, a lenient return policy increases sales.

The phenomenon seems to be true for a number of reasons, which the article discusses and includes the length of time the customer has to return the item.

This might be a good time for you to consider your own return policy.  Is it generous and lenient enough to assist your opticians in closing more sales or is it restrictive enough to discourage customers from taking a chance and making a purchase?

Follow this link to the full article on the Washington Post web site.

Source: The Washington Post