August 11, 2026
The frame inventory debate comes down to whether a tightly curated frame board that reduces choice overload or a larger selection that captures more patient needs is the better business strategy. The Divide, a point/counterpoint series from Review of Optometric Business, explores two sides of the conversation.
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What’s your frame inventory strategy? Take this poll to tell us.
My “Less is More” Optical Strategy
The optical floor at Look New Canaan. Photo courtesy of Dr. Jennifer Stewart.
By Jennifer Stewart, OD
When patients walk into the optical boutique at Look New Canaan, they find a thoughtfully curated selection of about 350 frames and sunglasses—a stark contrast to the endless frame walls common in independent optometry practices. Conventional wisdom says more options means happier patients and bigger bottom lines, but I’ve found the opposite to be true. More choices don’t drive sales. In fact, choice overload is often the ultimate sale killer.
CURATION OVER OVERWHELM
When you present patients with a sea of choices, you get decision fatigue. Drowning in options, many patients end up walking out empty-handed. We dodge that issue entirely by running the optical differently. While a patient is still in the exam room, my team curates a personalized tray of eight frames and sunglasses. Then, instead of letting the patient wander the optical alone, we sit down together and present these options—and most patients find their new frame in that very first tray.
This approach turns the optical experience into a guided, high-touch consultation. Because we handpick every frame on our board—including my custom, handmade Look Collective and Look Luxury lines—my team can speak confidently to each brand’s origin, materials and design. It’s a level of thoughtful expertise that patients remember long after they leave.
SMOOTHER CASH FLOW AND STRONGER MARGINS
From a business perspective, a small inventory allows for strict cost control and smoother cash flow. Rather than placing massive, unpredictable orders quarterly or biannually, I order from our top-selling brands one to two times a week. This keeps our monthly frame expenses consistent and highly predictable.
Carrying fewer frames also simplifies inventory management and merchandising. We constantly monitor our metrics using tools like Spexy Frame Turn to track performance. If a frame is a proven top seller, we keep duplicates in stock and reorder it the same day it sells. If a style turns over too quickly, we raise the price to optimize our return.
In short, a lean inventory makes managing the optical much easier, but carrying less frames is not a magic bullet for profitability. You can’t just cut inventory and call it a day. Real success requires constant curation, ensuring every frame on your board serves a clear purpose and earns its keep.
WHERE TO START
Maintaining a small inventory requires keeping a constant pulse on your business metrics, particularly turn rate and capture rate. If patients are walking out without buying, your inventory mix is off—regardless of its size. While high-volume, multi-doctor practices might benefit from more boards, my single-doctor, low-volume practice thrives on this lean model.
If you’re looking to increase revenue per patient without filling more exam slots, a lean, curated optical is a great place to start. It differentiates you from online retailers, big-box competition and even neighboring clinics bogged down by congested frame boards.
If your optical is out of control, start by establishing clear guidance on who manages your boards and how often you order frames. Do not give up control of one of the most profitable parts of your practice.
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Jennifer Stewart, OD, is the founder of Look New Canaan in New Canaan, Connecticut. To contact her: jennifer.stewart@odperspectives.com |
What’s your frame inventory strategy? Take this poll to tell us.
Do you have a topic you want to discuss on The Divide? Email us about a point/counterpoint conversation.
Stop Pigeonholing Your Optical: Large Frame Inventory Captures Attention, Wins the Sale
By Bobby “Chip” Wood, OD
I own two very different optometric practices. My small, rural practice serves patients who are highly set in their ways, focusing primarily on value and durability; fashion and luxury are not their priorities.
But at my San Antonio practice, the demographic is incredibly diverse. We operate in the sixth-most populous city in the country, serving a largely middle-class community with varied needs—some want a value proposition, some want affordable quality and others want high-end luxury and specialty eyewear.
To meet these needs, we carry a large optical inventory of 1,300 SKUs. In a practice generating $2 million in revenue, some consultants might argue 1,300 is too high. They may point to standard turn rates that suggest keeping only 800 frames on hand. However, our strategic, multi-tiered approach proves that a large, diverse inventory is a massive driver of patient satisfaction and business growth.
WHY SELECTION DRIVES CLINICAL AND BUSINESS SUCCESS
Our frame selection is broken down into three categories: budget, designer and luxury.
Our patients all have different needs. When you choose to have a narrow optical selection, you may not be meeting the needs of many of your patients.
If you only offer designer frames, you fail to meet the needs of budget-conscious patients. If you only offer value, you alienate those seeking high-end fashion. A large inventory ensures we never pigeonhole our practice.
This extensive selection has turned our optical into a destination. In fact, 10% of our optical sales come from walk-in retail traffic.
The budget frame wall offers plenty of styles to choose from. Photos courtesy of Dr. Bobby Wood. |
The luxury optical room featuring Gucci and Tom Ford frame displays. |
Recently, the wife of a former alliance group executive walked into our practice. She wasn’t a patient, but she had heard about our luxury room. It wowed her. She returned with her husband, who was looking for new wearable technology. Both were so impressed by our selection and personalized care that they booked clinical appointments, became new patients and both purchased premium lens technology and luxury frames.
By having the right inventory, we can also easily capture second, third and fourth-pair sales—whether they are prescription sunglasses or specialty safety glasses.
More wearables and AI glasses on display on the main optical floor of Wood Vision Source.
A TECH-FORWARD APPROACH
A large inventory also allows us to showcase next-generation wearables. Right at the front counter, we feature an active display of Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glasses. We don’t just let patients try them on; we also provide live demonstrations of their video, music, translation and voice-concentration features.
THE BREAKDOWN OF A THREE-TIER INVENTORY
To maintain profitability with 1,300 SKUs, we divide our inventory into three distinct cost sections based on turn rates:
1. Budget (approx. 300 SKUs): Displayed on a modest frame board, these frames allow us to compete directly with online retailers and Warby Parker. Many of these are bulk-acquired at no cost from our business partners as incentives for buying designer lines. We use them to offer free frames when patients purchase annual lens supplies, giving them a high-quality backup pair.
2. Designer (approx. 800 SKUs): This is our powerhouse category, yielding a high turn rate of 4x per year. It features our top sellers, including Ray-Ban (our number-one line), Coach, Michael Kors and Oakley. We use the Frame Dream through Vision Source for about 35% of this inventory, allowing us to resell the same high-turn frame multiple times directly from our board without waiting for manufacturer shipping.
3. Luxury (approx. 200 SKUs): Housed in a dedicated room featuring marble floors and chandeliers, this room showcases Prada, Versace and Gucci. These have a lower turn rate of 1 to 2 times per year, but our opticians custom-pick and constantly refresh these lines to keep the selection highly curated.
GROUP EFFORT LEADS TO SUCCESSFUL SELECTION
Finding the right frame selection for our patient base is a team effort. I don’t select our inventory on my own. My opticians have independence when they attend Vision Expo and other professional meetings to find what might work well in our office. They make recommendations for our patient mix.
This allows us to blend major well-known commercial brands with sought-after independent lines. Ultimately, as we get to better know our community and the people in it, we can provide exactly what they are looking for.
In our practice, the lenses can’t be left out of the equation. We believe the lenses are the vision, and the frames are the fashion. We prioritize premium lens technologies like Varilux and Eyezen, as well as more specialized offerings like Neurolens, Avulux and Stellest. A large, hybrid frame inventory ensures we have the perfect frame to house them, no matter the patient’s budget or lifestyle.
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Bobby “Chip” Wood, OD, is a Vision Source Administrator in San Antonio, Texas, and serves as the medical director and owner of two practices in Texas: Wood Vision Source in San Antonio and Coyote Optical Vision Source in Uvalde. |
What’s your frame inventory strategy? Take this poll to tell us.
Do you have a topic you want to discuss on The Divide? Email us about a point/counterpoint conversation.
