Lens technology

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

Today, 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: ■ What patient needs are currently not being met? ■ What do laboratories and eyecare practitioners (ECPs) tell us is missing in their portfolios? ■ How 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,

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comparative and randomised to ensure accurate and impartial results. The results of the trials are thoroughly analysed and if necessary, designs are tweaked, and the process is repeated until the results give tangible benefits to the trial participants.

With a commitment to transparency, white papers are widely available on all IOT designs to ensure partner labs and ECPs are confident in the products they are using under their private label.

Some of the technologies developed by IOT include IOT Digital Ray Path 2 (Figure 2), which uses the wearer’s accommodation to dramatically reduce aberrations in both single vision and progressive designs to give a level of clarity comparable to Ultra HD. This technology is applied to the wide range of designs in the IOT portfolio – from anti-fatigue to office lenses, from driving designs to the unique Camber Steady Plus – one of the most advanced progressive designs on the market.

As well as aberration control and lens design technologies, IOT has also created a process to reduce thickness in plus and minus lenses whilst maintaining excellent optical performance through the application of Lenticularisation (Figure 3). These technologies are adapted to enable IOT’s lab partners to create their own unique brands. FLEXIBILITY IN FREEFORM Buying a lab’s private label at a lower cost to a ‘big name’ brand can mean there is a perception of lower quality but, as we have seen, the processes in creating these designs is often the same. A lab’s brand is a part of its identity – it cannot afford to offer low quality because the risk to its reputation is too great.

It is through systems like FreeForm Designer that labs can provide you with solutions for the more complex jobs – the high wrap frames, the prescriptions with the high cyls – things that are often out of range for the big brand products.

Flexibility is a key advantage of having a high quality LDS, the only limitations come from the machinery, or the blanks used. The algorithms in FreeForm Designer will work to what the lab (and therefore the ECP) needs, rather than to what the margins dictate.

Each lab that uses IOT designs and technologies is able to customise the parameters based on its customers' needs, ensuring that their private label is unique.

IOT allows the impossible to become possible (provided the optics are acceptable to the wearer) and this is where the lab's expertise is invaluable. If in doubt, it can

(Figure 3) Lenticularisation ensures excellence in optical performance direct you to the best solution either through its own knowledge or by direct contact with the research and development team at IOT.

NEG LAB PARTNERS As NEG members, you have preferential terms for two of the UK’s most well-known labs – Lenstec and Norville.

The Lenstec Optical Group offers a fully comprehensive range of premium digital progressives under its Exceed brand, as well as occupational solutions and digitally surfaced single vision ranges.

These designs have been developed to provide wearers with the highest quality vision and are manufactured to the highest standard, here in the UK. In fact, Lenstec is one of a small number of labs to be awarded the prestigious EN ISO 13485:2016. Additionally, the group boasts a dedicated Sports Rx lab and is the supplier of a leading range of safety eyewear.

Paul Willis, commercial sales director, says: “The strength of the Lenstec Optical Group is its digital lens portfolio that offers a solution to meet every patient’s needs. From high performance, personalised dual surface designs to occupational and lifestyle lenses, there is a lens to suit everyone’s visual needs at a price to support healthy margins for any optical practice.”

Having undergone extensive development over the last year, Norville is the exclusive supplier of the Eschenbach digital lens portfolio. Offering solutions which use the latest in lens design technology, the Eschenbach range is fully manufactured in the UK and, as with all of Norville’s products can be adapted to the most complex needs.

Norville's comprehensive catalogue features a variety of solutions for specific patient needs such as those with disabilities to enhance their reading, writing, and overall vision; tailored options for those within the gaming world to limit the display issues from screens, and lens design technology to reduce issues surrounding headaches and migraines.

The move to new premises in January 2022 has enabled Norville to implement more streamlined processes and ensure that every aspect of manufacture is undertaken in the most eco-friendly way. With a wealth of knowledge spanning over 120 years, the Norville team is always looking for ways to push the boundaries in optical solutions.

Eluned Creighton-Sims FBDO is a qualified dispensing optician and IOT Independent Consultant. ■