How Has Online Shopping Impacted Optometry?

During the past few years, there has been a tremendous shift in the world of online shopping. Statistics have come out showing that there is a chance that online sales are going to surpass brick and mortar sales in the near future. When people think about the world of online shopping, they often think about Amazon; however, the world of online shopping is so much larger than this. Now, there is an impact on optometry as well in the form of buying glasses online. With the growth of online retail, individual practices are being forced to adapt. There are a few major adaptations that eye doctors have had to make in order to compete with the world of online retail.

First, many eye doctors are offering patients a deal on their contact lenses that is competitive with online retailers. This allows eye doctors to basically prevent patients from even entering the world of online retail. The fact remains that it is still easier for patients to buy contacts and glasses during their visit instead of waiting until they get home to find the best deal online. If optometry practices are able to offer a competitive deal right at the beginning, eye doctors are able to retain their customers and patients are still able to get a great deal.

In many cases, optometry practices are still able to keep their patients even after they get the dreaded fax asking for a prescription verification. This is basically the surefire signal that one of their patients is trying to find something online. In this case, optometry practices are often offering to match whatever deal is being offered online. A short conversation can go a long way.

Finally, optometry practices are simply having to expand their offerings. While it is true that many patients are able to save large amounts of money when they seek eyeglasses and contact lenses online, it is also true that there is a larger selection online as well. Therefore, in addition to tackling the issues of price, optometrists are having to tackle the issue of selection as well. In this manner, optometry has been impacted in multiple ways.

These are just a few of the many ways that online shopping has impacted the world of eye care. As patients are able to do more from the computer, it will be interesting to see what happens next. There might even come a day when patients can get an eye exam from the computer as well. It is important for eye doctors to be prepared.