COMPANY PROFILE
Brett Waugh established Eyewear Direct to work in closer collaboration with customers. Here, Brett talks about the company ethos and its brands
Listening to customers’ needs The idea behind the launch of Eyewear Direct was to create a more open and engaging relationship with customers. With this in mind, I decided to build the business around three simple concepts: 1) total clarity; 2) value; and 3) collaboration. 1. Total clarity. This entails providing our customers with more information about the frames and sunglasses we offer. In turn, this enables our customers to make better decisions about what they do – and do not – buy. 2. Value. We work across a range of price points and always over-deliver on value for money. Our customers and their patients are consistently delighted with the quality of the frames for the price they pay. 3. Collaboration. The world is changing; the market is changing. So, building strong, collaborative relationships with both customers and suppliers ensures we can all be successful into the future. This includes one-for-one swaps, no minimum order quantity, volume promotions and shares in our brand, Ashton Riley. With 20 years’ experience designing, manufacturing and supplying optical frames and sunglasses to independent stores and large chains, we have a huge amount of knowledge that we bring to everything we do. From our central office in Surrey, we are working on new designs every day – ensuring that we continue to bring exciting new products to our customers. With orders being despatched the same day, we endeavour to deliver the highest standards of service. Listening is a major part of what we do. We want to produce optical frames and sunglasses that end-consumers want to buy. It means we must be innovative in design, but more importantly we must listen to the feedback from our customers. We introduced hundreds of new lines in 2020, a year that was decimated by Covid-19. Yet Eyewear Direct grew. This was because we listened to what our customers were asking for, and delivered on that. Every day we have discussions about new product ideas that are a collaboration of our design team and customer feedback. We want customers to tell us how we can be a better partner, and help opticians grow their business too. We now offer five brands in the UK: Ashton Riley, Hook LDN, INVU, Redele and Sunwise Rx.
ASHTON RILEY Ashton Riley delivers quality acetate, stainless steel and titanium frames – providing all-day style ensuring the wearer can move seamlessly from work to play. Though our unique share scheme, stockists of Ashton Riley build up shares in the brand meaning that the success of Ashton Riley is something everyone benefits from. Designed in and inspired by the UK, all the frames take their names from towns and cities around the country, like bestsellers Cardiff, Oxford and NewtownAbbey.
HOOK LDN Hook LDN is inspired by and designed in London, and specialises in creating high quality, style led designs that are influenced by our passions for music and fashion. Music and fashion have always gone hand in hand. Now more than ever, eyewear forms a major part of people’s style. This unique collection of optical frames and sunglasses capture the essence and fun side of fashion and music.
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Vision Now MAY 2021
