There can be few industries that have the plethora of new products on offer that optics enjoys and that presents a fantastic opportunity for retail opticians.
One such example, highlighted in this week's issue, is the family of lens products manufactured from Trivex (see page 21). The lenses made from this monomer, cast by the likes of Younger, Hoya and the Thai Optical Group, result in lenses witha combination of properties that make it suitable for a whole host of applications.
Needless to say we could have a very technical conversation about abbévalues, indices and specific gravity to back it all up, but that misses the point.
I have met more people, on the industry side of optics, who are evangelical about materials such as Trivex than I care to mention. Free-form, high-index materials, MAR coating, Transitions andhigh-base glazing all have proponents with equal passion.
These people are manufacturers who realise the power of new technology and cannot understand why the retail business does not promote them more vociferously. Their continuing frustration is bog-standard CR39.
Optician has always striven to provide information on new products and technologies and will continue to do so. But remember, these are real here and now technologies, prescribed and dispensed by professionals like you for customers like yours.
As we enter choppy economic waters make them your differentiator.