Eyewear Specialist Susie Sendel Advises Optical Practices on Balancing Style, Quality and Profit in Frame Selection

Susie Sendel, an eyewear specialist and founder of the Susie Sendel Agency, advises optical practices to balance patient appeal with profitability when selecting frames. She recommends analyzing office demographics and lifestyle needs while avoiding generic collections that trigger pricing competition. Sendel suggests mixing timeless styles with design-focused options and dedicating 15 to 20 percent of board space to independent designers to differentiate from local competitors. To manage inventory risk, she advocates starting new collections with a dozen frames to track sell-through rates before expanding. Additionally, Sendel emphasizes equipping staff with brand knowledge and craftsmanship details to confidently sell designer items, noting that understanding the story behind a collection enhances customer loyalty and transforms the optical into a destination rather than just a retail point.