Optical Shop rejigs as fashion retailer

<P>International eyewear company Luxottica Group has rolled out LensCrafters in Hong Kong, rebranding the Optical Shop and shifting its business strategy in what is a global first for the group.</P> <P><br><br><BR>Led by a migration to the LensCrafters brand - which currently includes 6,000 stores worldwide - the Hong Kong initiative includes redesigning its 30 outlets with a 'fashionable' feel. </P> <P><br><br><BR>The company's business strategy has also evolved to include a significant focus on two core propositions: fashion and professional.</P> <P><br><br><BR>"We are taking a totally new perspective, so that we are now not an optical shop, we are a fashion retailer," said Gilman Too, LensCrafters marketing manager.</P> <P><br><br><BR>"It is the first for LensCrafters in any part of the world."</P> <P><br><br><BR>The new stores feature three key zones: the free-browsing Aspiration Your Service (fashion), Service (fashion/professional) and Eye Care (professional), which includes facilities for eye health check-ups. </P> <P><br><br><BR>According to Too, fashion was a logical step. "People underestimate how eyewear can affect your look, but if we can change that, we believe our business can double," he explained.</P> <P><br><br><BR>Too said the LensCrafters brand would also be rolled out in China later this year, along with consumer awareness and thematic campaigns.</P> <P><BR> </P>