High Street versus Online Retailers Prescriptions for Spectacles - Essay Example

?High Street Vs. Online retailers’ prescriptions for spectacles  Introduction:       Going through a brief history of the spectacles market in the world, it is known that the main suppliers of spectacles in the sixteenth centuries were the Dutch and were used in the Britain. Later it was followed by Nuremberg, the spectacle manufacturers in Germany. In the seventeenth century, spectacle shops were built in the city of London, the makers of which included personalities like Thomas Peal, Richard Reeves, John Marshall, and others. Spectacles were in use since the thirteenth century, by fewer people then who required them for reading. Gradually several developments followed in the use of eyeglasses and in the styles and forms of the spectacles from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The spectacles market can be seen to be growing as requirements of testing eyesight have increased, and with the availability of choices, people demand greater variety of styles and frames of spectacles. Spectacles market at the international level can be considered to be big, and it can be expected that growth in the developing countries would also increase in this industry (Davidson and MacGregor, 2008, pp.6-8). In the current market scenario, prescription spectacles are available not only in the high streets, but also online prescriptions are being introduced. However, these online prescriptions, despite offering customers with lower prices, are still unable to increase their share in the market. This report would, deal with the factors that may impact the online service to fail in spite of taking competitive measures.   Selling of Products: Online or Offline:       In today’s world the internet is a very powerful tool with respect to its use in information technology, communication ability, gathering facts on innumerable topics of study, or products or services, and also for online shopping. It is a low cost mechanism, and faster and more flexible than any other communication facility (Miller, 2003, p.1).  There are several categories of products for which customers prefer online shopping than offline. However, the final purchase is generally preferred offline. Thus, even if customers view their choices through the internet, the ultimate purchase may not always take place online. This is mainly due to the different preference choices that customers have for different variety of products. Usually for products like clothes, health, or sports products, consumers prefer to buy offline, because there are many options available to choose the most suitable from, which either would not be available through the internet, or customers may not be comfortable with the process. On the other hand, in case of air, or railway tickets, or similar necessities, consumers would not mind an online purchase. (Haugtvedt, Machleit and Yalch, 2005, p.378).       It can be categorized in this manner – products that are high-feel, like garments, sports goods, grooming items, are preferred to be shopped offline which allows the products to be handled and examined personally before they can be purchased. Low-feel products like railway tickets, computer software, etc. are often preferred for offline shopping. Although online shopping has several benefits, yet it also has certain disadvantages. For example, to obtain the actual sales, an offline facility would be required. This would ultimately mean that an association may be needed among online and offline services to provide the consumers with their preferred sets of products (Haugtvedt, Machleit and Yalch, 2005, pp.382-384). Thus, if the prescription spectacles market in the United Kingdom is considered, it can be understood that even if the online service is providing customers with lower prices than the High Street optical shops, yet there are possibilities of failure in the business or in gaining market share. The possible reasons would be discussed. Prescription Spectacles:       The range of vision is different for different individuals. However, when the limits or range varies to great extent, then individuals are provided with different descriptions of their eye sights or powers of vision, like short sightedness or long sightedness, etc. At these points prescriptions are required to correct the eyesight or help in vision problems. Spectacles that are prescribed with such corrections are referred to as prescription spectacles. It may not be possible to ascertain the exact normal range of vision for a particular individual, so it is very important that the prescriptions on the spectacles are made with utmost care (Sichel, 1850, p.7, 14). The Market in the United Kingdom:       For any business to succeed, it is important to understand the market in which it is prevailing. It is also necessary to understand the circumstances in which the different activities of a business like operations and marketing take place. Hence, analysis of the business environment and the business organization is needed in any industry (Needle, 2010, pp.1-2). The factors that may affect the environment of any business include the economy of the state or the country, the state, the technology to be used, the availability of labor, and other cultural differences. All these factors substantially act together and influence the organization globally (Needle, 2010, p.5).       Considering the U.K. market with respect to prescription spectacles, there are two different ways in which the business is prevailing. One is through the opticians on the High Streets, and the other is through the online prescriptions and delivery of spectacles. From the business context outlook, the market is doing well, with more and more customers demanding for variety of spectacles with prescriptions. The online service is also offering lower prices than the local opticians. However, the market share of the online service continued to stay low even after operating for over ten years. This is a concern for the companies who are coming out with such online facilities.   Reasons for Failure of Online Prescription Spectacles:       There may be several reasons behind the failure of the online service of prescription spectacles. One of the critical reasons being that spectacle is a high-touch product. Consumers would prefer to handle and examine the product before they purchase. Especially, while choosing a frame, there can be varieties available. Consumers would like to try all the options available and then choose the most suitable. This facility may not be possible through an internet service. Hence, consumers’ preference for offline opticians may be more. Online facilities are beneficial in some cases when may be a nearby optician is not available. If a customer is satisfied by seeing the products without trying them, then online facilities may prove to be helpful. However, in most cases, consumers prefer to try the spectacles on their own before purchasing. The price offered by the online opticians is lower than those by the local shops. However, there may be customers who would be ready to pay more just to have the opportunity to try all the options available. This is more because many a times a wrong choice may occur by only seeing a product and not trying it, especially with products like spectacles, garments, sports goods, etc.       There may be other facilities also available at an offline optician which an online service may be unable to provide. For example, while going through a test of the eye, often any other kind of disease may get detected like cholesterol problems, etc. These tests would not be available at an online source. Moreover a prescription only defines the powers of vision, or the lenses. There are several other factors which are required in order to fit glasses properly. Some of these factors are adjustment of the bridge, width of the frame, and so on; and these factors vary amongst individuals. Thus, going to a qualified optician and getting eyes correctly tested so as to fit the glasses appropriately, is essential.       Online spectacles may work for some consumers if they have a straight prescription where hardly any mistake made would affect. If the requirements are complex, then there may arise a chance of suffering. And if a fault occurs, the local optician may not repair them, as the pair of spectacles was not brought from that shop. Moreover, even if an online optician has the capability to provide its customers with correct prescribed spectacles, consumers may ignore them because of mistrust. Online sources may not always be completely trusted. Providing one’s information to an online source may prove to be dangerous. Also, there is no undertaking of the service to be continued.  Another issue that may affect the online services is the pressure from the competitors and those who are the local opticians. If an online service starts doing well, the local opticians would take measures to hinder its success. They may create pressures on the suppliers of products of the online opticians. The suppliers in turn may stop supplying the online opticians. These opticians would then be able to do business only when they get hold of new suppliers.       Thus, all these above reasons together seem to affect the success of the online service of prescription spectacles. In comparison to the online service, local opticians would be preferred more owing to security reasons, assurance of service provided, and correct measures of prescriptions made available. Consumers who would search for quality service would always be ready to pay the extra amount, but get the proper treatment. It can, hence, be made clear, as to why the online services of prescription spectacles in the United Kingdom are unable to gain market share.   What Online Spectacle Makers Can Do       To do success in the business, particularly in online business, hard work, perseverance, and responsibility are required. A Web site would not work on its own. It has to maintained and improved and promoted at a regular interval. It has to be an unending process necessitating huge amount of time. Planning should be made in advance; the process should be thoroughly studied to see what factors may later on affect the business, so that measures can be taken ahead of everything. Regular feedbacks from family and friends help to an immense extent (Caroll and Broadhead, 2001, pp.532-534). The web designer should be selected very carefully and a design should be selected that would intend to attract the customers. However, all customers may not be comfortable with online opticians. They may not trust the source and hence ignore. The online opticians should respect the customers’ views and help them in either way possible. For those customers who are willing to buy online, the online services should have it in mind to satisfy them to the utmost level possible (Caroll and Broadhead, 2001, pp.535-536).       Since there is no limitation to the number of products that can be displayed through the Internet, often businesses try to serve many products together. It is rather preferred to choose one line of business and hold on to one’s product line. This would help to serve up customers better. Study of the competitors is very important. The online opticians are failing mainly because they are losing out to their competitors. It is necessary to find out reasons why customers would come to one seller and not to the other. This study would help the online providers to come out with ways that may attract consumers more than the local shops (Caroll and Broadhead, 2001, pp.536-537). Feedbacks of clients must be responded sincerely. This leaves the customers with an encouraging impression. Most importantly, a business should not fear failure. In case of failures, one should have the confidence to put everything back in order and set up newly. Initial hurdles can be expected, but doing regular online research and working on customers’ demands and satisfaction would gradually lead a business to success. The expectations have to be real (Caroll and Broadhead, 2001, pp.538-543).  Conclusion:       Considering the spectacles market in the U.K., the local opticians have been found to be outperforming the online opticians. Several factors may be available that are affecting the success of the online service providers, which have been discussed in the report. Thus, the online opticians are unable to gain a major market share even though they have been operating for a long period of time. Consumers may have their own choices of preference and hence they may prefer local shops more than online shopping. Moreover online sources are mostly not trusted. However, in order to gain success in the long run, the online providers have to make research and analysis on the factors which are affecting their accomplishments. They should stress on satisfying the customers’ demands so as to attract them to their business. The online opticians have to work on their weaknesses or the issues that would satisfy the consumers to be successful in the market.                                      Bibliography  Davidson, D.C. and MacGregor, R.J.S., 2008, Spectacles, Monocles and Lorgnettes, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing Miller, R., 2003, The online rules of successful companies: the fool proof guide to building profits. New Jersey: FT Press Haugtvedt, C.P. Machleit, K.A. and Yalch, R.F., 2005, Online consumer psychology: Understanding and Influencing Consumer Behaviour in the Virtual World. London: Routledge Sichel, J., 1850, Spectacles: their uses and abuses in long and short sightedness. Boston: Phillips, Sampson and company Needle, D., 2010, Business in Context, United Kingdom: Cengage Learning EMEA Caroll, J. and Broadhead, R., 2001, Selling online: how to become a successful e-commerce merchant. Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing  Read More