Life in Spectacles Issue #8
WELCOME!
It’s been a while since I last wrote to you, and a lot has happened in that time, so I thought I should give you all an update. Firstly, as many of you will already be aware, Phil Ives, our optometrist, had a health scare while on holiday at the end of last year. Although he has since almost fully recovered and is back at work, he is finding that he now tires more easily during the day. Due to this he has reduced his hours with us, but is still here one or two days a week. This has meant we have introduced a new team member, Clare Sheppard. Clare is a fantastic Optometrist with 30 years’ experience, is already getting some superb feedback and is a pleasure to work with.
THE END OF AN ERA
With the introduction of a new team member, we are also sadly losing one. After 12 years at The Spectacle Shop Dan has decided the time is right for him to move on. He is having a complete career change and leaving the world of optics to join South Yorkshire Police working in administration. Dan has been a great asset over the last few years, and I cannot thank him enough for all his support in our transformation of the business, of which he has been a big contributor. I wish him all the best and am sure we will all miss him.
We are in the process of recruiting a new member of staff, but it could take a little while to find the perfect candidate with the relevant knowledge and experience, so for a short while it will be Lucy and myself. If you could please book an appointment when possible if you need to see us for any adjustments, or to view any new eyewear, so we can ensure we give you the service you deserve.
OPTICIAN AWARDS 2022
As some of you know at the end of last year, we entered the national optician awards for fashion practice of the year and were delighted to be shortlisted to the last five for the whole of the UK and Ireland. For opticians this is equivalent to being nominated for an Oscar and is one of the highlights of my career. This meant a trip to the Hilton at Park Lane, London and a night of ball gowns and dinner jackets. Vernon Kay hosted the night with merriment, good food and too much drink. Unfortunately, we did not win this time but may try again one day. The following day I went to see Back to the Future on stage, which had been recommended by one of our lovely customers, and I must say it is excellent and one of the most entertaining shows I have seen.
LENSES RE-VISITED
It has been around four years now since we started our journey to transform the way people view eyewear. The quality of your lenses, as well as frames, is a major factor in this. We are confident that the lenses we use are second to none in both the design of the optics and the quality of the coatings. The quality of the coatings is a major factor in the appearance and durability of eyewear and the best companies invest millions into technology to ensure the toughness, longevity, and ease of cleaning.
We have recently revisited a supplier who manufactures the thinnest plastic lenses in the world, Tokai. These lenses are superb for high prescriptions as well as those looking for lenses with a discreet appearance.
We constantly review lens companies to make sure we are offering you the best value for money. This year I have worked with three different varifocals from three different companies to check on comfort of vision and quality of lenses and in the next week we will be proudly launching our own varifocal lens that has been exclusively branded for The Spectacle Shop, designed by one of the top lens design companies in the world. We will be introducing this lens shortly, offering fantastic value on a premium design varifocal which also includes our 2-year scratch-free guarantee. I have been trialling the lens for the last month and have found the performance to be excellent.
The past four years have been an interesting journey into what wearing amazing eyewear means to people. We have been attracting new customers from all over Yorkshire and beyond and have found that customer satisfaction improves significantly when people love what they wear, and we are genuinely blown away by the happiness people get from wearing something special. We frequently hear stories about the positive effects of wearing amazing eyewear whether it be increasing self-confidence or improving comfort.
We do love to hear your stories on this and are always interested in any photos of you out and about wearing your amazing eyewear so don’t forget to tag us on social media or send them to us via email, at [email protected]
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: SUNGLASSES OPEN DAY
We will be hosting our first ever sunglasses open day on Friday 28th April 2023. Sarah, our sunglasses ambassador, will be in store with hundreds of never-before-seen sunglasses from the likes of Anne et Valentin, Kuboraum, and You Mawo. There will also be smaller collections of Theo, Maui Jim, Lindberg, and SALT sunnies on the day, alongside drinks and nibbles.
We anticipate a busy day so please call us on 01226 296770 to book your appointment.
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: THEO TRUNK SHOW
It’s that time of year you all love! Our two-day event takes place on Thursday 18th & Friday 19th May 2023. Monica, Theo’s UK Ambassador, will be showcasing Theo’s collection including never-before-seen show-stopping pieces!
Launched by Wim Somers and Patrick Hoet from Antwerp in the 1980s, Theo use an artistic approach, daring designs and very bright colours, and are designed for lovers of exclusivity and originality.
As you may know, visits from Monica are very popular, so this time she’s decided to stay for two days to ensure no-one gets left out, but we still recommend booking your appointment on 01226 296770.
NEW RAPP STOCK
When Lucy visited the Silmo eyewear show in Paris last September, we gave her the task of replenishing our Rapp stock and we are pleased to announce that they have arrived in-store. Each frame is diligently handmade in Toronto, Canada – we’ve literally been waiting six months – but they are worth the wait.
Anyone who fancies an incredibly high-quality, real statement piece of eyewear, that will last the test of time with style and quality, will love Rapp. I would recommend you come and have a look sooner rather than later as they are getting a lot of attention and won’t stay in stock for long.
NEW COLLECTIONS
First Officer is a revival of a modern classic. This rimless collection makes a statement with brightly coloured sides, mounted on to shiny silver, matt silver, or gunmetal detailing. With sides made of composite rubber this iconic eyewear offers superb comfort, quality, and luxury.
Tree Spectacles are an Italian brand offering simplistic designs in modern materials, giving unrivalled comfort on large, chunky acetate frames. Handmade from Japanese titanium and Mazzucchelli’s bio-based M49 acetate, Tree Spectacles offer superb styling, comfort and colours. This collection is very quickly proving to be a great success.
FINALLY
A big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review on platforms such as Google, Trustpilot or Facebook. It is always greatly appreciated and really helps in spreading the word about what we do here at The Spectacle Shop.
As always, please feel free to share this copy of Life in Spectacles with your friends and family.
Take care and see you all soon,
Philip Potter
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