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Jan, 09 2018

IT’S THE ‘VISION’ THAT MATTERS

Given the fact that spectacle frames are no longer used only for sight correction but also as lifestyle products, Specmakers in South India has got its equation worked out with absolute clarity

Specsmakers, the makers of spectacle frames, lenses and accessories, is taking the South Indian retail market by storm with a store in every nook and corner of cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, and Madurai. In a short span of time, the brand has risen with leaps and bounds, winning the confidence of its customers. Specsmakers, set up in 2007, has served more than 10 million customers in a period of 10 years. “We made a decisive move of becoming India’s first single brand outlet, catering to customers who are keen on purchasing their eyewear at affordable pricing with high-end quality,” says Pratik Shah, Managing Director, Specsmakers.

People who wear glasses are often conscious about their looks. Keeping this in mind, Specsmakers try its every bit to complement their customers’ face and style with wide variety of frames and lenses.

“In order to ensure best design and quality, we have associated ourselves with top manufacturers who cater to international brands. We create designs, shapes based on the trends and vision patterns of Indian consumers,” Shah informs.

The brand caters to all types of vision such as single vision, bi-focal and progressive. The lenses are manufactured by European labs and are fitted using Japanese technology to ensure quality and perfect fit.”We do different types of coatings such as anti-reflective, water repellent and special lenses for the avid digital users to protect their eyes from digital blue rays that emit from devices such as Television, Laptops and Smartphones,” Shah adds. Besides lenses and frames, it also manufactures products like reading glasses, lens cleaning solutions, cords, chains and sunglasses.

UNIQUE SELLING POINT

Price plays a pivotal role when you target Indian buyers. Therefore, Specsmakers has made it a point to offer high-quality eyewear in an affordable price range. Says Shah: “We are the first ones to offer a one-year unconditional warranty on frames and lenses.” Furthermore, the brand maintains a transparent pricing policy for its products and offers value-addition through free eye testing at all its outlets by certified optometrists as well as free lifetime service of ultrasonic cleaning of spectacles at every store. “Additionally, we offer free repair and services of spectacles even if a customer has not purchased the product from us,” Shah adds.

SOUTH SIDE UP

As mentioned earlier, the brand has become a household name in the southern part of the country with a store at every 2 km. This has been possible due to a deep understanding of consumer behaviour in this region. “We aim to attain a larger footprint, higher market share and economies of scale,” Shah says. At an average price of Rs 2,000–2,200 a pair, Specsmakers has created a niche for itself, which, as Shah says, is something he would like to maintain for a long time to come.

FRAMING FRANCHISING IN LENSES

The brand is an award winning business model to franchise with. Unlike other players in the market, it has its own franchising model of FICO (franchise invested and company operated). “We take care of any outlet linked to us and we make sure that they get the best returns. Presently, we are offering our franchise across all major cities of South India,” Shah informs.

Before entering a new city, the management of Specsmakers undertakes it offers. “That’s a core part of our growth strategy,” Shah says.

FUTURE PLANS

Given the upward spiral in the frames and lenses industry, there is room to expand and Shah has already put into motion an ambitious plan to reach new heights. The brand is looking forward to entering Hyderabad, and other parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka shortly. “With as many as 120 company-owned outlets, we are in the process of opening additional 200 outlets across Chennai, Bengaluru and Madurai before the end of 2018 and 200 more outlets in 2019. We have already accepted 50 franchise proposals. Our vision is to be a 500-store company by 2020,” Shah says. 

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