L E N S T EC H N O LO GY
The power of private brands When it comes to branding, Waitrose has managed to succeed in a way many other high-end retailers can only dream of. When it launched its Essential Waitrose range following the 2008 financial crash – with the catchy slogan “Everyone deserves quality food” – it saw sales lift by 14.6 per cent. By Eluned Creighton-Sims FBDO
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oday, Waitrose has six private labels (or brands) and in August 2021, was reported as being the only major grocery retailer in growth as sales fell during the preceding 12 weeks (The Grocer 20 August 2021). Waitrose has access to the same brands as all the other grocery retailers and, indeed, sells many of them at a higher price than its competitors; what it excels at is marketing its own private labels as being of equal or superior quality to branded products. WHAT'S IN A NAME? The world of branded ophthalmic lenses is dominated by a handful of key players. In grocery terms, they are the Nestlé, Unilever and Proctor & Gamble of the ophthalmic world. If we stop for a moment to really think about that, what are you paying for when you buy their products? Are you paying for a quality product? In the main, yes. Are you paying for exclusivity? Definitely not. Are you paying towards mass marketing to your customers and for your competitors? Yes. Are you paying for a greater discount to those who can supply bigger volumes? Absolutely. Are you maximising your margin and controlling your own brand identity with these products? No. The reality is the price you pay for these brands includes a subsidy for marketing, which enables larger competitors to achieve greater discounts. This contributes to the brand’s ability to sell directly to your customers. However, can you imagine the furore if Nestlé were to open its own cereal
store or online marketplace? It means it is the brand your customers seek rather than you. What if you had the option of a private label, like those offered by Waitrose, that delivered high quality products with better margins? In fact, you already do. Perhaps it is worth considering how lenses are designed and manufactured. When a lens manufacturer receives your order, there are two systems that come into play – the Lab Management Software (LMS) and the Lens Design Software (LDS) (Figure 1). The LMS centralises the control of all aspects of the laboratory. At a minimum, it will control the interface between production and calculation – as well as manage the database of blanks and designs. The LDS is responsible for calculating the surface files that will be transmitted to the freeform machinery (the generators) via the LMS to produce the required lens based on the information supplied with the order. It is the LDS that holds the algorithms created by lens designers. Although both systems deal with software, the LDS requires input from multiple disciplines (mathematics, optometry, engineering to name but a few), in order to create quality designs. This set-up is the same whether you order from a large manufacturer or small laboratory, whether you use a branded label or private label. The key differences are in the process behind the creation of the lens design algorithms held in the LDS, and the production quality, which is controlled by regular quality control checks and machine calibrations.
(Figure 1) Two systems for lens ordering: LDS and LMS
ADVANCING LENS TECHNOLOGY One of the most advanced LDS systems in the world is the FreeForm Designer created by IOT, an independent company that specialises in freeform design technology that can be adapted into private labels. IOT was founded in 2005 by Daniel Crespo, Juan Antonio and José Alonso who wanted to harness the power of freeform technology and drive innovation in the optical industry. With three research centres and more than 50 per cent of its employees working in research and development, IOT’s sole purpose is to create new, more advanced technologies. The process of lens design for IOT begins with the following questions: ■ W hat patient needs are currently not being met? ■ W hat do laboratories and eyecare practitioners (ECPs) tell us is missing in their portfolios? ■ H ow can we improve on current technologies? The lens design team, comprising of optometrists, mathematicians, physicists and engineers, uses this information to plan new products and then begins the complex task of calculating the algorithms necessary to create a surface which meets the design criteria. Once the algorithms have been created and evaluated, it is time to begin producing the lenses for clinical trials. Every IOT design undergoes rigorous testing prior to launch and trials are double blind, Vision Now March 2022 19
