[by Optician]

Awareness of 3D eyewear among optical practices is low and knowledge of the different types of 3D eyewear available patchy according to research carried out by Optician.

These are among the findings of the Essilor-sponsored study carried out to assess the profession’s understanding of eyewear, the availability of products and the intention for practitioners to get involved in the 3D eyewear market.

The research was carried out on a self completion basis, by email to Optician readers and www.opticianonline.net users. It showed that of those taking part 42 per cent were not aware of available 3D eyewear.

It further showed that just 8 per cent of practices currently stock any form of 3D eyewear and that just 12 per cent had been contacted in the last year by a supplier with a view to their practice stocking 3D eyewear.

Despite the vast majority of those responding being professionals (optometrists 53 per cent and dispensing opticians 39 per cent), nearly a third (29 per cent) said they were aware of prescription 3D eyewear. This product doesn’t exist and prescriptions are catered for by fit-overs, clip-ons or clip-in prescription inserts of which 6 per cent said they were aware.

The highest level of awareness was of passive plano glasses using a polarising 3D system popular in cinemas (82 per cent) and overspecs using the same system (62 per cent). Active shutter specs were cited by just 33 per cent.

Of the tiny 8 per cent currently stocking 3D eyewear nearly half (44 per cent) have been stocking the product for more than three months.

When quizzed about the likelihood of stocking 3D eyewear in the future, 28 per cent said they were very or fairly likely to be getting into the market. Those who would not be stocking the product cited the lack of demand (65 per cent), lack of product information (56 per cent), clinical concerns (25 per cent) or it not being an optician product (15 per cent) for the reason why.

Some of the reasons that would encourage practitioners to become 3D stockists included: increasing market demand, information and training, both (66 per cent), more information (42 per cent), information on potential health concerns (41 per cent) and customer testimonials (23 per cent). The research showed that patients very rarely or never ask (99 per cent) about 3D eyewear in an optical practice.

A round-table discussion on 3D eyewear will be hosted by Optician this month and the full results of the research published in a forthcoming issue.

See the original post here: http://www.opticianonline.net/Articles/2011/07/06/27905/Only+8+of+practices+stock+3D+eyewear.html