Do lenscrafter and such use stock lenses?

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BTW@ - 18 Aug 2006 22:37 GMT

A friend of mine told me that there actually are stock lenses - lenses
that are already grinded for various prescriptions - out there and
that's why lenscrafter and the like can finish your glasses in an hour.
She added that those lenses were actually very cheap to get. Was she
right? I mean, if that's true, tt sounds like to me that many shops are
making tons of profit out of the lenses.

Just wondering.

Thanks,

Bob

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Mike Tyner - 19 Aug 2006 00:39 GMT

>A friend of mine told me that there actually are stock lenses - lenses that
>are already grinded for various prescriptions - out there and that's why
>lenscrafter and the like can finish your glasses in an hour.

Almost all optical outlets can "edge" - meaning they have the equipment to
cut stock lenses to shape and fit them in the frame. In this respect LC is
like any other local shop.

So "one-hour" service is available from most opticians if your prescription
is simple and you choose the coatings and options they have in stock..

What sets LC and other superstores apart is the ability to "surface" - they
stock semi-finished blanks with pre-made front surfaces, and the tools
necessary to grind and polish the back surface to most prescriptions.

> right? I mean, if that's true, tt sounds like to me that many shops are
> making tons of profit out of the lenses.

Inexpensive finished blanks are available to any optician that cares to
stock them. I have a couple hundred you can have for $3 each.

-MT

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ArsenalFire - 19 Aug 2006 05:07 GMT

> Inexpensive finished blanks are available to any optician that cares to
> stock them. I have a couple hundred you can have for $3 each.
>
> -MT

I would hope it would be obvious, but lens pricing is not about the
materials but the technology. Not all stock lenses are created equal
when it comes to scratch resistance, optics, thickness, etc. Also,
most people do not have the know-how or equipment to turn that stock
lens into a proper pair of glasses, so whether LC pays $3 or $30 for
lenses themselves, that is only a small part of the profit picture.

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BTW@ - 19 Aug 2006 06:52 GMT

> I would hope it would be obvious, but lens pricing is not about the
> materials but the technology. Not all stock lenses are created equal
> when it comes to scratch resistance, optics, thickness, etc. Also,
> most people do not have the know-how or equipment to turn that stock
> lens into a proper pair of glasses, so whether LC pays $3 or $30 for
> lenses themselves, that is only a small part of the profit picture.

I'm sure that's only a small part of the profit picture. And definitely
lenses have more technology involved than frames do. My friend just
wanted to replace the lenses. She went to that smaller shop and was
quoted a price about 50% cheaper than LC could give her. Perhaps LC use
different stock lenses. They'd better be, given the higher prices. But,
at the end of the day, do the consumers really notice any difference
between one brand of stock lenses and the other?

Also, consumers go to LC, every coating they want they have to pay extra
for it. But, my friend was told that those stock lenses already have all
the anti-glare, scratch-resistance coating, etc., on them. One has to
wonder how much "additional" charges LC and the like are charging its
customers.

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