100 days of Otago Optical

On 14th Sep 2022, we celebrate 100 days of operations.

Otago Optical officially launched on 6th June, although preparations started way before that.

The Prelude

We contemplated between starting as an online-only store, or one with a shop front, and eventually settled on the latter - as we felt it would be important to try on the glasses before purchasing. Having a space would also ensure that we can perform eye checks, rather than using 'partner shops', and this means better consistency and control, as reliability is paramount.

Smith Street, Chinatown

A photo taken at Smith Street, Chinatown. Our store entrance is next to the iconic pineapple from Kele Pineapple. Back then, Smith St had the remnants of the closed Chinatown Food Street. The stalls have since been removed.

The Process

"Charming" is how I'd describe the store when we first visited - wooden beams and a slanted roof, windows with a view of South Bridge Road, a road steeped in history, with an entrance that is slightly hidden for that touch of mystery and discovery.

Shophouse, South Bridge Road

Shophouse, South Bridge Road

It was a simple shop - enough for our simple business! We touched it up a little, and turned it into the little place we now call home. Little by little, we improved both the aesthetics and how we functioned - based on the feedback from our early customers.

The walls used to be empty!

The Projected

Since opening, we have received much love from customers. The transparent, honest, and reasonable pricing that is a pillar of our business is often talked about, and while we may not be the most easily accessible (got to climb some stairs!), a good selection of curated frames awaits the brave who embark the journey up three levels.

We aren't the cheapest, nor do we offer the most expensive branded frames. We are competitive based on our value - what consumers get based on the price they pay - and this means balancing quality and price, as well as curating a good selection of trendy and evergreen designs.

This is our way of business, and our way of life. This is uniquely Otago Optical.

Otago Optical Chinatown

Location: Otago Optical

#theotagolife

The Start of Otago Optical

It isn't with a huge world-changing ambition that we are starting a new optical shop, but rather, just the desire to be successful and good, and be successfully good.

I'd describe it as a mixture of frustration and inspiration - that spectacles wearers have a general choice of paying through the roof for the big brands at the big stores for something very good, or taking a risk with the small 'neighbourhood shops' - some of them really good, others.....

New players in the past decade have addressed this quite well, with their 'fast fashion' offerings. But when a company becomes that huge, consistency can be a problem from outlet to outlet, and we have seen how they may eventually morph into the more expensive direction, or start creating things like memberships, app vouchers, and so on. Others have stayed cheap, but provide products with quality on the lowest of the spectrum.

Can't we have something in the middle? Like you know, decently priced glasses, decently good quality, decently trendy. And not having the fear that one is going to get fleeced. And without all the fuss of downloading apps, signing up for memberships, and so on.

And so we seek a balance. Like...yoga (I think?)

There are four things we try to achieve:

• Trendy eyewear

• Quality products

• Affordable prices

• Reliable eye checks

And so our concept is built around that, along with the ambition to do good, be simple, and keep improving.

#theotagolife