Vistakon® produces and markets ACCUVUE® disposable contact lenses and other vision care
products, holding the #1 position in the contact lens arena. Yet a key dilemma continued to
challenge their standing and future growth: contact lenses made up more than 30% of typical
optical retail sales, but they only received about 1% in visual merchandising space.
Vistakon believed that drastic changes in layout and integrating contact lens merchandising
throughout the space would better match how consumers shop the vision care department,
thereby increasing overall contact lens sales and retailer profits.
THE RESULT
Miller Zell shifted the merchandising scheme away from a product/manufacturer orientation to
a lifestyle/life stage perspective. Bright lifestyle graphics support this change, as do increased
in-store contact lens communications. By blending contact lens displays alongside frames
throughout the store, the percentage of display space better matches the lens category’s sales
contribution.
Results were remarkable, showing a 24% increase in unit volume; a 60% increase in dual
purchases of frames and lenses; and a 16% increase in total optical department profit..
