New glasses
I’ve been putting off a visit to my ophthalmologist for several years. I realize that’s not a good strategy at my age, but there are other bills to pay, and this one was “ignorable.” But now it happened: I broke my glasses over the weekend and need a new pair.
So I’m going to try something new: I’ll be ordering my new glasses (after this afternoon’s eye exam) online. I figure if people can buy shoes online, they can buy glasses this way, too. Or suits.
I’ve already had a chance to have a twitter-based conversation with the folks at Clearly Contacts (who, despite their name, also offer glasses – including sunglasses; they also have great tutorials for measuring what will fit, and a virtual mirror that lets you try glasses on).
Incidentally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to British Columbia-based companies, specifically from the University of Victoria‘s Business School: Clearly Contacts was co-founded by UVic grad Michaela Tokarski while Indochino was conceived by Kyle Vucko, both University of Victoria Business School grads. …And that happens to be my son’s faculty (he’s a 3rd year BCom student), so I’m expecting great things from him, too! 🙂
An old high school acquaintance who now operates a traditional glasses store once bemoaned the LensCrafters trend. He felt it was undermining the quality service his store offered. I can only imagine what he would think of online retailers and their “virtual mirrors”.
Will these traditional retailers go the way of the bank teller–existing only for the technophobes, newbies or customers with complex needs?
Again, I’m reminded of planner Deb Day’s pondering about the future of Victoria’s brick and mortar stores and whether it’s wise to centre our long-term planning around creating more of them.
If you’ll allow me to wander further off topic, recall the debate over whether to allow residential or retail in the ground floor units of 834 Johnson, the Cherry Bank condos and now 257 Belleville. I understand the City prefers retail in the latter.
Oookay, back on topic–sorry the glasses broke and hope the new ones are great.
Comment by robert randall — October 6, 2010 #
Actually, Deb Day didn’t ponder that issue – she just told us (during an October 25, 2006 Downtown Plan Update meeting – good grief, so long ago!) that Victoria’s Planning Department was waiting another 6 months (till March/ April 2007) to finalize suggestions around the Downtown Plan because Planning was waiting to hear from its outside consultants whether or not more retail in the core would be sustainable.
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I would argue that it was my December 2006 article for FOCUS Magazine, Consuming Downtown that could more accurately be described as the public source for subsequent “pondering about the future of Victoria’s brick and mortar stores and whether it’s wise to centre our long-term planning around creating more of them.” If I hadn’t highlighted in my article Day’s rather cryptic remark (which she only unpacked after more probing from someone in the audience, and which was never reported elsewhere), 99.9% of attendees at that meeting would have missed its significance. They still do.
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Believe me, I’ve been thinking about this for a lot longer than most people in Victoria! And if I may be permitted to say so, my Dec. 06 article is still worth reading. 😉
Comment by Yule — October 6, 2010 #
I wonder who will adjust your glasses. There is certainly values in being to go to your local business to get that after service!
Comment by Trevor — October 6, 2010 #
PS: Just published a follow-up (today’s post), Retail realities…
Comment by Yule — October 6, 2010 #
I will find out. (In response to Trevor’s comment.)
Comment by Yule — October 6, 2010 #