10 Updated on 5/20/2020 Preparing for a Retail Reset What Might the Future Hold as Optical Retail Transforms Post-COVID-19? ow does a leader prepare for a never-known-before your patients. As we examine the 2019 year past, VM asked challenge? Pause. Breathe. Rely on colleagues. Get the a few of our Top 2020 U.S. Optical Retailer executive leaders H real facts. Make a plan. Be prepared to change it. Do about the pandemic and what it could mean for the future. the right thing for your team, your employees, your company, - The Editors QUESTION #1 QUESTION #2 QUESTION #3 What do you feel will What are some of the new What’s important for all be the new priority(ies) technologies, approaches senior optical exec/retail for consumers/patients you and your team might leaders to keep in mind or when they return to be employing more of prioritize as they manage practices this year, next when you start to reopen. their businesses to come year/longer term? Telehealth? Online offer- back in the “new” envi- ings? New merchandise ronment? mix? DATA analysis? Edward Beiner Sue Downes If you are watching traditional retailers and restau- Founder and Chief CEO rants on TV advertisements, you’ll be hearing a lot about Vision Officer MyEyeDr. non-contact interactions, and optometry needs to adapt Edward Beiner Group quickly to this new basic expectation. That means ex- “This pandemic has caused panding telehealth services, developing new methods “Going forward, more per- patients to rethink their re- of outreach to patients, and understanding more about sonalized service but a safe lationship with their optom- what patients need and why they are looking for exami- and protected environment etrists and view them as nation, diagnosis, products, and other services related to will be key priorities. Luxury essential providers in a way vision and wellness. retailers will need to redefine they may not have before. Optometry has to do a better job of anticipating patient safety with luxury—or luxury Patients have experienced a needs and a new health care environment while leveraging with a safety component. new appreciation for their vision health and wellness, and some of the new technology that retailers are developing I think telehealth along with online sales will be the we need to deliver on their new expectations. Key to these to interact with and address patient needs differently. two points of most interest for us. As for merchandise, expectations, however, are two very important caveats. There will be a natural inclination to focus exclusively the choices might become narrower (less masstige) but First, in-office care must be delivered in a safe, sur- on revenue and profitability, and everyone in the industry higher end and more exclusive products. I think volume gically clean environment with long-term protections in learned some valuable lessons about fiscal responsibility will decrease for the next 12 months—but the average place for the patients, doctors and staff. Second, the and our industry’s position in health care while handling ticket might increase. patient expectation has grown to include an increased this crisis. These are important lessons, as they focus As the business comes back, we will have to prioritize level of interactivity with doctors outside of the office. We our priorities around the commitment to patients and the safety and networking. We all need to continue to learn must deliver services and goods to our patients when patient experience within our offices. and benefit from our colleagues. Networking is key. No and how they need them instead of when and how they Patient behaviors and expectations have been one is in this alone.” are convenient to us. changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we need to be For a look at prior years’ reports, go to the VM Reports MAY 2020 category on VisionMonday.com. 11 adaptable and listen so we deliver what patients want Aaron Schubach regional hub locations for medical and urgent issues. The and what patients need in every interaction. In addi- CEO feedback on social media and review platforms has been tion to this awareness, we have to demonstrate great Standard Optical overwhelmingly positive. We are close to launching our sensitivity to the emotions and health of our returning eyeglass store, which was in the works prior to COVID-19. associates. This has been, and continues to be, a trau- “Early indicators, both quanti- The last new technology related strategy is our mobile matic experience for many, and their anxieties are real. tatively and qualitatively from eyecare program. This is in conjunction with Opticare Vi- The more we care for them as individuals and listen to our patient surveys and central sion Services (formerly Opticare of Utah) whereby we offer them with genuine respect for their life experience, the call center interactions are this: on-site eye exams and RX services. The system was origi- better we will emerge as a unified team prepared for a our patients want to feel safe nally designed for large employer groups, associations, future together.” and need to be assured that etc. during the pandemic where we offered concierge ser- we take seriously cleanliness and their safety. If that is ac- vice to our elite customers and did a non-contact eyecare John Marvin complished, we believe that patients will be more open to experience on their front porch. President the doctor’s recommendations. Some early Google analyt- We use portable equipment from EyeNetra, Topcon TSO/Texas State Optical ics might suggest the patient is asking more informational and Marco combined with a non-contact frame selection questions directly to the medical professional, and are less and measurement tool called Smart Mirror by ABS ACEP “During the severe limitations likely to trust a simple Google search. In the office, it’s not France. We firmly believe that if we provide excellent in- imposed to bend the infec- enough to just have a posted sign or a message on our office experiences, telehealth services from the comforts tious curve of the COVID-19 vi- website like everyone else, we must make a concerted ef- of the patient’s home and mobile capabilities for onsite rus, many doctors and optical fort to clean and disinfect in front of the patient. eyecare, it will fundamentally change the eyecare delivery stores went out of their way to Also, in a post COVID-19 world, patients will be less system as we know it. make purchasing of eyewear comfortable spending big chunks of time in the office. We Safe, happy employees will produce safe and happy and contact lenses extremely convenient for consumers. have most of the intake steps completed by the patient patients. The most important thing in my mind, in a post- Some went online with purchases, others offered exten- prior to the visit. We reassure them that our protocols will COVID environment, is that the safety of our patients and sions of patient’s contact lens prescriptions and others insure a timely, safe and pleasant experience. Doctors are employees is paramount but it doesn’t have to be at the offered curbside delivery of eyewear. I believe a stronger equipped with slit lamp germ guard, masks, paper or full cost of an easy, fun and memorable VIP patient experience. expectation of convenience in all purchasing experiences shield and gloves. Optometry is the primary care expert in vision and is one that will remain. After the exam, we will set the patient up in their “safe- eye health related issues, however, over the years google As for new technologies, there’s no doubt that using zone” which is essentially a dispensing desk and worksta- searches and online “exams” may have taken some of virtual conferencing will be long-lasting for our company. tion that we clean and disinfect in their presence. This that away. Well now is a great time to take back the po- Our field people will complement their face to face meet- method not only serves its purpose from a coronavirus sition in the patient’s mind as foremost authority in all ings and trainings with virtual meetings and trainings. It is standpoint, but it is truly a VIP experience. This process things eyecare and eye health related. Don’t forget to more efficient and far less expensive than travel. It won’t has resulted in an average ticket increase of about $70 learn from this time. take the place of in person contact, but we are now com- and multiple pair KPIs have gone up about 15 percent Standard Optical was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah in fortable with interacting virtually. and, in many cases, the frames that the optician present- 1911 by Henry Schubach, my great grandfather. Over four I believe e-commerce will be more prevalent and pro- ed were all purchased. generations of Schubach leadership this business has sur- vide more competition both in terms of convenience and The coronavirus pandemic has reinforced our 3 pronged vived two world wars, the Great Depression, recessions, price. Consumers are now comfortable with care delivered strategy (in-store, online, mobile) and put projects such as countless military conflicts, Sept 11, the 1987 stock market through virtual consultation and I believe that online re- telehealth at the top of our priority list. One of the first crash, the 2008 housing market crash and much more, fractions will be the next big disruption in our industry. things we did in mid-March was reinitiate discussions with including, on March 18, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake here Going forward, our industry must be more consumer several telehealth platforms and by May 1 we were seeing in Salt Lake City.