You have got to hand it to Ron Hamilton, the founder of Daysoft contact lenses and a pioneer of the throw-away modality. At a time of life when many men would be rediscovering the garden and perusing the Saga travel brochure he has stuck a rocket up the contact lens business.
His move, to launch a website offering daily disposable contact lenses at a 30 per cent discount to the keenest supermarket price, while supporting the independent practice, pushes the art of riding two horses to the very limit. This is a high risk strategy indeed.
By mixing it with the big boys of the multinational contact lens companies, the supermarket giants and optical retail chains, Hamilton flirts with the possibility of sparking a price war, the like of which optics has never seen.
By selling contact lenses direct to the public at rock bottom prices he risks being branded a traitor by the independent sector and ostracised by the very people he is trying to support.
But the reward if he achieves his goal is great indeed. If he can perform the trick of winning business from the supermarkets, pharmacies, internet middlemen and multiples by beating them on price and service, he stands to win a lot of business.
If he can reward independent practices and send them patients from the Daysoft site, without stealing independent contact lens sales, he will have underpinned his position as a champion of the little guy.
How will the independents react? Who knows?
Will the contact lens makers or the supermarkets spend millions on market share to put Daysoft out of business? Who knows?
Does the public want a month's worth of daily disposables for £12.99?
Absolutely.