JOURNAL

Same Old Shop, Brand New Location

Otago Optical has shifted to a new location:

633 Veerasamy Road (Upper Weld Road)

# 01-108

Singapore 200633

This is 3 stops away from the old place at Chinatown (via Downtown Line).

Accessible from Jalan Besar MRT and Rochor MRT.

[ Full Details and Directions ]

The Story

From the 'attic' of a shophouse to a proper shop on the ground floor - it is now just one step into the store, as compared to the 37 steps you would have climbed to get to us when we were at Chinatown. One small step for you, a giant leap for us. While we really liked the cozy space, the accessibility seemed to be quite an issue for some of our customers, and on occasion even for us when the street is closed for events.

With the rental increase - the market rate was indeed 40% as observed and heard from the other rentals in the area - we found that the disadvantages just weren't worth the uniqueness of the unit. How is the street going to be developed; would it continue to be blocked periodically due to road and other works; is our entry door going to be even more covered up; are customers going to struggle to get to us through the crowds?

Hence when our lease was up, the choice was clear. We couldn't stay.

The Big Move

We thought it would take a couple of weeks. It ended up taking almost two months. From properties that we viewed that were not actually available and landlords looking for 6 months of deposit (cash flow issues?), to having to use the landlord's contractor for works and landlord backing out after accepting the Letter of Intent. And then there were the layouts that didn't work.

And then there was the reinstatement - pre-covid pandemic, it would have taken about $400 to $500 to remove the partitions we had put up. Now, it is $3000 to $4000. That's at least sixfold! Throw in some additional issues with our new store - we took over an abandoned lease and hence 'as-is', with various problems from the previous renovation, from electrical to plumbing and more.

We sometimes ponder what is in store for Singapore in the near future. The price increases seem to be unexpectedly large, and out of touch for the standard of work - the shocking amount the second-previous tenant paid for renovations at our current unit just didn't match up with what we had to repair and redo.

Some Questions and Answers

- Why Jalan Besar? -

The HDB flats at Veerasamy Road are very well-connected, being walking distance to both Jalan Besar and Rochor MRT stations on the Downtown Line, which intersects with various other lines (CCL, NEL, NSL, TEL), plus being just 3 stations away from our old place at Chinatown.

- What's new? -

We now run on a hybrid system of walk-ins and appointments, which reduces your wait time and allows you to come in at timings previously unavailable.

- What's old? -

Our commitment to affordability and quality remains the same - we regularly benchmark our products and prices to other similar optical stores, to ensure that we are on the 'better value' end of the market.

- What's upcoming? -

In the second half of 2024, we will be retiring some older styles and putting in new styles - the product range continues to evolve to suit the needs of the large majority of our customers. We always welcome your feedback and sharing on the frames and types of lenses you're looking for.

Location

Shop

Jun 6, 20232 min read

365 days of Otago Optical

Updated: May 10

We are one year old. It's been a good one for us.

Thank you everyone!

I would like to start this short post by thanking all our customers who have visited us in the past year. It is because of your patronage that we are able to keep the store running the way we want it to - trendy and quality glasses, affordable and honest prices.

We've also have had the luck to meet with many good people along the way who have assisted us in various ways - from social media influencers to our neighbours.

And also to our tiny team toiling in the back-end to make things work; what would I do without your support?

Lastly, not forgetting the suppliers and manufacturers we work with, as we continue to attempt to squeeze every bit of value out from each dollar we pay (just kidding...partly).

Certainty in uncertainty

"How has it been for you, my friend?"

We live in uncertain times - there are major conflicts evolving, changes in the natural and economic environment, and challenges every step of the way for both businesses and individuals.

Some things (like the weather) we cannot control - like the many costs that have risen rapidly in the past year.

But some things, we like to keep a little more certain.

Like our concept.

We will continue to do what we do best - in a good way, in the right way.

Otago Optical Interior 2022 — Once upon a time we had much lesser styles

Soon, it will be another 365 days

In the upcoming days, we have new exciting developments - a larger product range for instance. There are new styles in the pipeline, to help you keep up with the trends and to better satisfy wearers who are looking for something different. A wider range of lenses will also manifest.

We will also continuously refine our processes based on your feedback, so we can meet (and exceed) the expectations of the majority of our customers.

Otago Optical can only be as good as your trust in and support for us. Thank you.

Signing off this post,

Signing on back to work,

Tim

Dec 23, 20222 min read

200 days of Otago Optical, and the Cai Fan Cai Png Index

Updated: May 10

On 23rd December 2022, we will celebrate 200 days of Otago Optical going live!

With all the recent happenings yada yada, we have seen prices creeping up, which means a higher cost of living, and it looks to be trending upwards, so...

PRICE INDICES

Kind of tongue-in-cheek, but kind of legit.

If we started with 1.00 when we began this business:

Cai Fan/Cai Png (Economy Rice) Index: 1.65

Green Bean Soup Index: 1.54

Chicken/Duck Rice Index: 1.42

Teh Tarik Index: 1.30

Curry Chicken Briyani Index: 1.20

(Last Updated May 2024)

These price increases are, for most of us, very well tolerated, although I'm pretty sure it's not very welcomed!

STILL THE SAME OLD

And while other shops (you know who you are) are doing lame things like leaving indecorous messages for us on our website and doing inappropriate things to our letter-box, we are busy ensuring that we have a good spread of products across our price ranges, and finding ways to continue delivering quality glasses at affordable, wallet-friendly prices!

By being inclusive in our prices, there's something for everyone (at least the large majority of us!) - whether you need a spare pair of glasses for National Service, or a nicer one to celebrate getting a new swanky job in the CBD; whether it's a basic single vision lenses with UV protection, or the latest generation blue-light blocking / violet-light blocking lenses from a good brand. We want to have it all - for you!

When we started out, we had three main glasses packages: $60 / $90 / $120. Today, we have added on a $45.90 budget series, $99 best value series, and a $180 signature range.

And yes, you can get a decent pair of glasses for just $60, with lenses - it isn't a gimmick. Russell, for instance, is a lightweight TR90 plastic frame that's quite flexible, making it comfortable and durable, and comes with multicoated lenses (UV protection, yes) of your prescription up to 800 degrees of myopia and 200 degrees of astigmatism.

No extra charges, no GST, and no price shocks!

Most importantly, as we increased our product range, we have also added new styles into our cheaper price ranges.

Today, a whopping 44% of our styles are $60 and under (and that's not including some of the marked-down off-season stocks that we are clearing in-store), and almost 73% of our styles are under the $100 mark.

You now have 51 styles that are under $100 to choose from, compared to just 36 styles back then!

This leaves a lot more budget for lens upgrades, or for a spare pair of glasses. Or perhaps a visit to one of the many cafes in the area.

Decent quality glasses don't have to cost an arm an a leg, and we are here to support that - by specialising in unbranded frames and providing a good curation of lenses to suit every budget.

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