We are well into the festive season now and no doubt we will, for at least a part of the holidays, be part of the teeming crowds frantically shopping at the last minute in the shops and malls. Or will we? It appears that the convenience of online shopping is taking the world by storm and South Africa is no exception.
During the Covid pandemic, statistics showed that there was a 66% boom in e-commerce growth, leading to a massive online presence by South Africans.
A study released by Deloitte earlier this year found that more than 70% of SA people are now shopping online.
The big challenge with some convenience shopping
There are certain areas, however where the convenience of online shopping just doesn’t cut it and could lead to serious health issues. Eyecare is one of the areas where Ophthalmologists and Optometrists agree testing is always warranted and it is simply not good practice to order spectacles online or buy unprescribed glasses in a shop.
Not only are you safer by having prescribed spectacles for blurred vision, but degenerative eye conditions of all kinds can be diagnosed and treated before they get to a debilitating level.
The convenient, sensible solution
One Optometrist group, Optique, which is always looking for solutions to challenges in the eyecare industry (and generally breaking the mould in doing so) have come up with a good compromise. To save time when visiting the Optometrist for a thorough eye examination and prescription for the right glasses, they have a new online portal where people can not only purchase already prescribed contact lenses and have them delivered, but they can also browse to shop for an extensive range of frames. You note the online code and pinpoint the frame based on that code when you visit the Optique store for testing. The code on the website will be the same as on the shelf.
Affordability is the key
To solve the second part of the problem, where many people buy over-the-counter spectacles because they believe that testing and working with Optometrists is just too expensive, Optique has always offered an eye test for only R99, which makes it much more accessible for people to check their eyes. This has been so effective that one out of every two people they see is getting their eyes tested for the first time!
‘’What’s important to note is that 8/10 of the people who come for their first eye test end up needing glasses. Although our industry resents us for lowering the professional fee by 60%-80%, we feel it is our duty as medical professionals to give the public access to affordable eyecare, precisely because they have so few resources for such care,’’ says Leon van Vuuren, owner and founder of Optique.
It seems that this combination of online shopping convenience and expert eyecare at affordable rates is really assisting this innovative business to break new ground in the eyecare industry as they have served over 100 000 people already! It is important to note that you can now afford to combine convenience shopping with expert eyecare!
. A Paarl Post reader stand a chance each of winning a free eye-test and perscription spectacles to the value of R3 000 each from Optique Paarl. Simple Whatsapp the answer to the following question to 076 314 8767: How much does an eye-test cost at Optique. See Paarl Posts facebook page to stand another chance of winning with Optique.
