Philippe Rochette, founder of Le Bonhomme à lunettes, is the driving force behind the community eyewear concept that has inspired many opticians in Quebec and elsewhere. But what exactly is a community eyewear store? Let us explain our vision, starting with a brief look back in time.
The Beginnings of Bonhomme à lunettes
It is 2006. Philippe already has several years of experience as an optician. He has worked in various optical stores, but has not yet found the right environment. In his spare time, he volunteers at YMCA de Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. Then came the fundraising campaign. Philippe suggested setting up shop in the hallway near the reception area and selling affordable eyeglasses, with a portion of the profits going to the organization. This mini-campaign proved to be more than just a success; it led directly to the creation of the community eyewear store concept, which is based on two main principles.
A Community Eyewear Store Puts Accessibility at the Heart of its Business Model
Seeing clearly is not a luxury. A community eyewear store must therefore ensure that it offers quality products at affordable prices for all eyeglass wearers, regardless of income. To achieve this, it is necessary to rely on a minimalist business model that keeps operating costs under control. At Le Bonhomme à lunettes, we achieve this in three main ways:
The Absence of Brands
There are no well-known brands in our store. We focus on generic products, both for frames and lenses, because we believe they offer the best value for money (think of generic drugs, for example). The absence of brands not only limits price increases, but also allows us to opt for a simplified pricing structure. All of our frames are offered at a single price of $79. This allows our customers to make a relaxed choice based on their tastes, without having to think about the price of each new pair of frames.
Leveraging Our Market Knowledge
Our opticians have hundreds of years of combined experience in the field of optics, which allows us, for example, to carefully select our suppliers while sniffing out good opportunities for purchasing frames. Here's a concrete example: like clothing, frames have a limited shelf life in stores. They must be regularly replaced with new models for the next season. These “old” frames have only one flaw: they take up space on the shelves that could be used for new frames. Such is the nature of fashion.
At Bonhomme à lunettes, we take advantage of this endless cycle. Six months after their release, frames still on the shelves are offered to us at low prices by our suppliers, who are happy to make room for new models.
Service Points Rather Than Branches
Being open seven days a week can be expensive. Commercial rents are constantly rising, as are insurance and other costs. To get around this and continue offering affordable eyewear for everyone, Le Bonhomme à Lunettes has opted instead for a model based on service points. We visit a community organization every week during the same time slot. By saving on rent, we are able to offer low prices twelve months a year.
However, the service point model cannot exist without the essential contribution of community organizations, which brings us to the second pillar of community eyeglass services.
A Community Eyewear Store Actively Collaborates With Community Organizations.
Without the energy and dedication of the community, this concept would not exist. Period. Over the years, Le Bonhomme à lunettes has carefully built a relationship of trust with the many organizations that welcome us every week. We owe much of our success to them.
Some organizations host us on a weekly basis, while others promote us to their users in person and via their websites and social media channels. In return, we serve as a fundraising tool for them. Since our inception, we have had the privilege of awarding more than one $1.5 million to community organizations, all thanks to our customers. Because in addition to saving money, they are also making a social contribution by purchasing glasses from us.
Assistance Programs to Navigate
There's more. Thanks to various government programs, certain groups of people can receive financial assistance for the purchase of eyeglasses. Examples include social assistance, newcomers and refugees, Indigenous People as well as parents of kids under 18. With our extensive knowledge of the field and the support of community organizations, we are able to assist customers through the various stages of the process, making eyeglasses even more accessible.
What if some low-income individuals are unable to benefit from this? We find a solution. Access to eyeglasses is simply too important. Thanks to this wonderful collaboration with stakeholders, we can act as a kind of social safety net for more vulnerable clienteles. We consider this to be part of our mandate. This is reflected in our mission, which is to make the purchase of eyeglasses accessible to all.
A Proven Model
A community eyewear store is therefore a fusion of an innovative business model and a community philosophy. More importantly, it allows tens of thousands of people from all walks of life and income levels to save money on an essential purchase while helping to fund community organizations in their area. It is therefore above all a win-win-win proposition for customers, community organizations, and the opticians who invest in it. This explains why Le Bonhomme à lunettes now has more than 70 service points and 40 employees since its founding in 2007.
We are honored that colleagues in Quebec and elsewhere in the world are drawing inspiration from our example. We hope that our example will inspire others beyond the world of optics. If this is the case for you, please know that we would be happy to discuss it with you. Another way of doing things is possible!