Just like many retailers Luxottica as well is searching for the best concept to sell its (sun)glasses collections. The advantage of a major Group like Luxottica is that is has money and opportunities to experiment with several options. Recently the Group opened a OPSM Eye Hub in Melbourne and a Sunglass Hut flagshipstore in New York. I was in New York this weekend and used the opportunity to see it all myself. The Sunglass Hut store at 5th Avenue was less impressing as expected. The location is unique but the collection and the way it is presented differs only marginal from the usual Sunglass Hut stores. Especially the experience was less exciting as I hoped it would be. At the same time Ilori, launched as a luxury sunglasses store has now started to sell prescription frames and lenses. Apparently the sunglasses are less profitable as expected. Collection and presentation are, despite a few special items, not very distinguishing, as I saw myself this weekend in Soho. It is remarkable that eyewear stores in general and those of Luxottica as well, keep sticking to brand presentations without informing about trends or fashion developments. If they inform it is in a technical way and about technical features like we already described in relation to the OPSM store in Melbourne and saw now again in the Sunglass Hut flagshipstore. Apparently purchasers and sales people need the brands to feel comfortable and lack enough knowledge and experience of fashion and trends to inform customers about it. I have to admit that this is generally speaking all the same in other branches. Products are displayed like usual, often in a messy way, new media are still hardly used and the experience can only be found in the more or less luxury design of the store. The conclusion is that there is still a lot to do in retail. And the good news is it offers a lot of opportunities to courageous and creative entrepreneurs!
