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Corner Sport at the store: a good idea?

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Corner-Sport-Optic

As a store manager, the optician is constantly on the lookout for innovations to increase his attendance and improve the customer experience. The creation of an optical sports corner is a strong argument to stand out, but also to retain customers. We tell you why the establishment of this type of warehouse equipment is not without interest.

Optical sport corner: excellent market potential

The mission of an optician is to meet all the visual needs of the client. Today, many of you are interested in the professional activity of customers in order to offer the best possible equipment.

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But if work takes up most of our time, we must not forget the place of hobbies in the lives of French people, and in particular sports .
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The figures given by the Ministry of Sports are eloquent: 64% of the French population practice a sport at least once a week . France has more than 16 million licensees.

When we consider regular practices without being affiliated with a sports club, these figures are even more telling. 10 million people practice running on a regular basis, 13 million cycling, 15 million swimming.

These three sports are perhaps the ones that most require specific equipment for their practice. Because among this sporting France, it is estimated that around 17 million the number of ametropic patients.

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The market potential is therefore enormous. Having an optical sports corner in your store can therefore provide growth potential of up to 15% !

How to set up an optical sports corner?

In order to assess customer needs and optimize potential according to your own criteria, do not hesitate to ask your customers what their practices may be.

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Ask them about the sports practiced, the level, the frequency, the environment … An athlete likes to talk about his practice, much more than his professional activity! Thus, the purchase of glasses is no longer just a necessity but also a leisure purchase.

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In order to differentiate yourself as well as possible, consider reserving part of your store for sports. Create specialized displays by practice, embellish them with some optical advice or not . Get trained and train your teams on the appropriate equipment.

The presence of a dedicated sports corner can also become a weighty argument during negotiations with the representatives who come to see you . Negotiate communication tools to tip the scales. This will make you a specialist in the eyes of your customers and suppliers.

What equipment to provide?

You can of course specialize in a few specific sports such as scuba diving. But if one remains anchored in the three sports very practiced by the French, cycling, running and swimming, some very important common characteristics should be considered when equipping one's store.

The frames offered must be very comfortable , because there is nothing worse for an athlete than to manage discomfort in addition to fatigue. They must be light, and for this, polyamide and aluminum are preferred, which also offer good impact resistance.

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Sports glasses must have good support . It is therefore necessary that they are equipped with an anti-slip and adjustable rubber nose and temples, in order to adjust as best as possible.

Safety is of course, primordial. A runner and a cyclist must be protected from wind, rain, branches, insects …

Regarding glasses, polycarbonate , solid and 100%, will be preferred UV resistant. Depending on the budget, photochromic lenses can adapt to ambient light. A criterion of choice for the practice of trail and mountain biking, where changes in environment and light are frequent.

Regarding the colors , they will have to be adapted according to the environment. For that, don't hesitate to dive back into our article on tinted lenses .

Offering an anti-fog and / or hydrophobic treatment is also a good idea. This considerably increases comfort and safety.

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Finally, it is of course possible to make a setting in view , for the customers who need it, or request it. Optical kits exist, and allow to clip corrective lenses on the glasses. The advantage is that these kits are very practical, but they can reduce the field of vision slightly .

Many brands specializing in sports frames regularly innovate to improve equipment. We can cite among others Demetz , Julbo , Cébé , Oakley , Bollé , …

You now know all the potential that exists to create a sports corner in your optical store. All you have to do is take the plunge !

Sources: Opal IGTV, Gilles Demetz