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Alongside high standards of service, design is now crucial in building and maintaining a loyal customer case. From a functional perspective, good design can improve in-store navigation and aid product selection. However, it can also create environments that are individual, compelling and rich in personality. In short, good design creates spaces where savvy consumers want to shop in, and want to be seen to shop in.
New looks
Most opticians are making an effort to move away from dated practices and the contemporary combination of wooden floors and finishings with pale walls is still one of the most popular looks. Light, airy and minimalist, this look is fast becoming the new tradition. Wood - in all shades and species - is still very much associated with quality and it is for this reason that it is unlikely to go completely out of fashion, notes Ken Barnes, managing director of Barnes Design. 'Solid wood with natural tones and textures can be the ideal choice for modern practices. However it can also lend itself easily to a more traditional setting. Solid wood provides warmth and quality,' he says.
Other natural materials - or rather high-quality vinyl with natural material patterns - are also proving a popular alternative to wood. Amtico and Karndean are two of the most widely used floorings, offering practitioners an impressive range to choose from. Wood, marble, slate, stone and terracotta finishes are just a few of those available.
However some practices - especially those in urban centres - are becoming more adventurous with their decor. Mark Fantom, managing director of Lynx IDG notes that more and more practices are opting for a decidedly futuristic look, combining platinum fixtures with high-gloss black fittings and flooring. 'This combination looks very "high-tech", very futuristic,' says Fantom. 'In the past some may have thought this look was "too cool" for their practices, however more and more people are deciding that is not the case and are choosing this kind of look. We have found that practices in cities, larger towns and towns with a high student population have been the most willing to adopt this look.'
Fantom also predicts a new, more colourful, trend will emerge in coming months. Earlier this year at Optrafair, Lynx IDG unveiled its new range of practice fittings and display units with a hard lacquer finish. According to Fantom, the new range generated a great deal of interest. 'These lacquer finishes are high-gloss paint finishes. They are sprayed on, and can be applied in a thousand different colours - any colour the practitioner wants,' he says. 'To date such finishes have not been used much, but people are showing more interest in using it.'
Tara Woodley, project design manager at Style Design, says practices are showing an interest in experimenting with the colour of their fixtures and fittings. 'People do still like the clean minimalist look, but they are now wanting to "warm it up" a little - they don't want their practices to look too clinical,' Woodley says. 'We have definitely noticed a call for more colours and unusual finishes in the last few months.' She points to Goldsmith Webb as one practice that has opted for some different finishes, with great effect. The practice in Corringham, Essex has created a distinctive reception area by combining rich teak with a copper laminate.
But whatever the decor, practitioners seem to be asking for the same thing - something different. 'Everyone wants something different, so for us that means everything is bespoke these days,' says Christoper Rodwell, of Christopher Rodwell & Co. 'Practices in small villages usually do not want to go over the top in terms of a refit as they do not want to alienate their existing customers. However, if you have a high street practice in the centre of a town or city, and there is a multiple nearby, then you do have to do something quite impressive, something quite different. You really have to work hard to get that "wow" factor.'
On display
Opticians are also becoming more creative in the way they present their frames - both in terms of the background to the display rods and the special product displays. Frosted and plain acrylics are still used, however, many practices are customising these. Independent opticians in particular are using these acrylic panels as a branding opportunity. This trend, says Barnes, is likely to continue as they make efforts to set themselves apart from the multiples.
'Branding is becoming an essential part of the independent practice. It used to be that independents put their names behind those of their suppliers, but now they are branding themselves first and foremost,' he notes. Barnes Design customises frame displays, engraving practice names into the acrylic panels. Lighting can then be added to illuminate the name, and make it stand out even more.
Coloured acrylics are also being used behind display rods more often. And not just soft, subtle hues - modern practices are using vibrant colours, such as turquoise, orange or purple, to draw customers to particular products or ranges. And according to Woodley, wallpaper is making an interesting return. Practitioners are taking the creative step of wallpapering the boards behind their display rods in all manner of colours and patterns.
'When it is done well it is very eyecatching,' she says. 'Usually they choose a paper that complements the practice colour scheme, and the choice of wallpaper will obviously depend on how busy or plain the rest of the practice is. Some of my favourites have been solid colours with a subtle floral pattern or ripple effect running across them. It does not distract from the frames, but instead serves to highlight a particular area of the practice.'
Safe & secure
Security is a major consideration in any practice refit, and practitioners must strike a balance between stock security and customer access. According to Hal Cripwell, managing director of Mewscraft, most practices keep a minimum of one-third of their stock in locked displays. 'Security is such a massive issue and it often involves a slight compromise,' Cripwell says. 'In some areas you would not believe the crime that goes on. Even if the frames are on a locked display, people will still try and get at them. In other areas theft is not a major issue and practitioners do not want to lock the frame display because they don't want to give customers an uneasy feeling - so they choose to tolerate a low level of theft.'
The major categories of display rods, continues Cripwell, are non-locking, key-locking and remote locking. Remote locking systems are not as widely used as they can be prohibitively expensive for some. However Cripwell does note that 'people who have them really do seem to love them, and most of them say they would put them in again'.
Key locking systems are the most popular, and Cripwell points out that these displays are not necessarily a barrier to the sales process. 'In fact, walking across to the displays and unlocking them is often a good opportunity to initiate conversation with customers,' he says. 'And of course, you can always leave the displays unlocked.'
Mewscraft stocks the Tubix range of display rods which come in non-locking, key and remote locking systems. Available in several lengths, these display rods are versatile enough to be wall-mounted or fixed to a desk display.
Fantom also agrees that security is a major issue. He makes the point that security can become even more of an issue following a practice refit. 'Practitioners may not currently have a security problem but if they do a major refit and begin stocking designer frames, they might become a target,' he says. Lynx IDG is now stocking the Roto Revolution display rods, where the locking arm which hooks over the frames disappears completely into the central bar when unlocked. 'We believe this is an improvement because locking arms could scratch or damage frames,' he explains.
Top Vision Group is also promoting its newest range. The Mino line - which was officially launched earlier this year - offers practitioners a cost-effective security option, says managing director John Ferguson. The slim display rods are available in key lock, semi-remote and remote systems, but it is the semi-remote option that has emerged as the favourite among practitioners. This system allows five or six display rods to be opened by remote, and then closed manually once customers have finished browsing. 'It is really half-way between key locking and a full remote system,' says Ferguson. 'It is less expensive than a full remote system, so it is very cost effective. And it means that moment of awkwardness - when a staff member must step between the customer and the display to unlock it - is avoided.'
The system is completely wireless and the battery power source is supplemented by a solar panel. The company has also developed the Mino XL, a version which accommodates frames with larger bridges, in particular sunglasses.
Light show
While most practices are still installing bright white lights to facilitate good product display, more and more are experimenting with subtle and coloured lighting. LED lighting in particular is growing in popularity. 'These lights are environmentally friendly and they give off a more subtle light, rather than a strong white light. They are generally used to highlight one of two pieces on a shelf or special display,' explains Fantom. 'They can also be used within displays and programmed to change colour or intensity, and this can prove to be quite eye-catching.'
Cripwell agrees, but notes that not all practices are able to install this technology. 'LEDs tend to be installed in very upmarket practices - not everyone wants or needs them. However for those that do want them - and can afford them - it creates an opportunity to do something really special.'
Graphic scenes
Practitioners are often looking for ways to liven up their stores, and many are turning to graphics to do so. Large-scale graphics can be used either behind display rods or by themselves to brighten practice interiors. Such graphics can be used to create a mood within a practice or as part of a specific product promotion - for example a snowfield image with winter sports goggles placed in front.
Some practitioners are going one step further and installing video screens in store. According to Ian Richardson, director of De-pict, these screens are beginning to replace static product promotion material, De-pict produces two types of displays - three screen and single screen. In the set of three, messages and movement are synchronised across all screens, so there is no jarring or distracting visuals. The three screens can be built into a practice wall or use as a free-standing display. The single screen can also be mounted onto a moveable wood cabinet.
'Instead of a static poster, practitioners can now have hundreds of messages rotating in the same space,' says Richardson. 'Practitioners can play the latest product advertisements or promote aspects of their own practice, such as late night openings or fundus photography. Some people have been using these screens in their waiting areas and screening messages on eye health.
'The single screens in particular are very versatile, as they can be used in store during the day and then pushed into the store window at night.'
Why refit?
All are agreed, a practice refit is a necessity. Consumers, points out Fantom, are far more savvy today and when they are spending a lot of money on frames, they expect to do it in a suitable environment. 'The younger generation of consumers won't walk into an old fashioned practice,' he notes. 'Some practices are 15 to 20 years old and they have not had anything done. The practice is okay and the owner is taking a wage - but at some point the investment has to be made.' He suggests that high street practices do a refit every three to four years, and other practices do so every 10 years.
And importantly, it doesn't have to cost the earth. There is no average spend on a shopfit, says Cripwell, as it really depends on how much the practitioner wants to do. 'However people can make a very big difference in a practice for under £10,000. I would say that £20,000 would get a practitioner something really good.'
When the business arguments for a refit are considered, the decision to update the practice should become even easier. Evidence suggests that practices enjoy a 25 per cent rise in sales following a practice refit. Even small changes can make a difference, says Cripwell. 'We recently did just one wall in a London practice, as the practitioner wanted to start stocking more designer frames and drawing attention to them. He couldn't believe the change after the refit - people were walking straight up to the wall, and it really helped attract new customers,' he recalls.
