Focused on good ideas
By Sherriza Hareani

Going into e-commerce is one way of rejuvenating business for Nanyang Optical. About four months ago, the retailer with 14 shops here, launched its virtual site, www.eyeplanet.net.

Its managing director, Mr Yang Wah Kiang, said: "We always believe in looking at business in a new way. Innovate and rejuvenate."

In fact, the company was praised by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong at the Productivity 2000 event earlier this month for its innovations.

From a backyard workshop in the 1950s grinding away lenses for the optical industry, Nanyang filled the retail void when it opened its first shop at Geylang in 1967. There has been no turning back.

Last year, was a year of dazzling "firsts" for the company.

It received the ISO 9002 certification — the first optical retailer to do so. In November, it became the first and only eyewear store to franchise its name. In March, it received the Singapore Franchise Mark of good business practices and strong capabilities.

"Now we’re ready to move away from a brick and mortar to a click and mortar business," said Mr Yang.

Online sales will account for 40 per cent of the chain’s expected turnover this year.

Mr Yang hopes Eyeplanet will be Asia’s largest eyewear portal.

It will be launched in the middle of the year. Even without much publicity, it has received visitors from countries as unexpected as Lithuania.

An unusual feature is its online self-checks.

Visitors can go through 10 vision tests online to check for problems such as colour blindness and glaucoma, a condition in which the eyes lose their side vision slowly and which can lead to blindness.

The online tests are not meant to replace an actual visit to the doctor, said Mr Yang. But he hopes that they will give a warning so that people can seek treatment early.

Focal point
The site also showcases Nanyang’s award-winning proprietary software, Focal Point. With the innovative program, you can scan your photo or use a digital camera to take a photo of yourself and upload it to the website.

With that image on the monitor, you can "try" on various pairs of spectacles or sunglasses, and even contact lenses to see which pair or colour is best.

The program adds an interactive element.

Mr Yang said: "A great deal of interaction goes on between the customer and optician in a physical optical store. In contrast, a website lacks the human touch."

Ironically, the online idea is now a hit at its physical stores. Short-sighted customers can keep their glasses on and check how they look with different frames and lenses on screen.

As Mr Yang put it: "Once we find a good idea, the key is to focus."