A new study suggests that a mix of B vitamins and choline may help slow down or even stop vision loss in glaucoma by supporting the eye’s metabolism—independent of eye pressure. Researchers found that in animals with glaucoma, this vitamin supplement protected the optic nerve, even when eye pressure wasn’t treated. These encouraging results, published in Cell Reports Medicine, have led to a clinical trial now underway in Stockholm.
Glaucoma usually damages the optic nerve due to high eye pressure, but researchers at Karolinska Institutet discovered that a slowed metabolism in the retina might also play a key role in vision loss.
Their study suggests in glaucoma the eye struggles to use certain vitamins that are necessary to keep a healthy metabolism. By supplementing these vitamins in an animal model, researchers were able to reduce and, in some cases, even stop optic nerve damage, offering hope for a new approach to protecting vision.
About Fighting Blindness Canada
Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC) is the largest charitable funder of vision research in Canada.
Over our 49-year history, FBC has contributed critical funding for the development of sight-saving treatments and cures for blinding eye diseases. By raising and stewarding funds, FBC is helping drive forward research that supports our goal of understanding why vision loss occurs, how it can be slowed and how sight can be restored.
We are an invaluable resource for individuals and families impacted by blindness, providing accurate eye health information through our website and educational events, as well as engaging with government and other stakeholders to advance better vision health policies.
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Sales aren’t about pushing products—they’re about moving people. In this episode of Revenue RX: Optical Retail Wins, I explore a fundamental question in optical retail: When should you sell, and when should you simply connect?
Many optical professionals focus on persuasion, but the best performers shift their mindset from selling to serving. When you understand a customer’s needs, motivations, and lifestyle, you don’t need to hard-sell—they’re already ready to buy.
From Transactional to Transformational
The most effective salespeople influence without pressure. They listen. They guide. They build trust.
In fact, research shows that 50% of customer loyalty is built during the buying experience—not from the product itself. For optical retailers, this means the dispensary experience is just as important as the exam.
Every eyewear sale has two dimensions: ✔️ Need-based — the prescription, lenses, and function ✔️ Want-based — the frames, fashion, and personal identity
People don’t just buy glasses—they buy confidence. Self-expression. A sense of being seen. And if your team can help them connect with that, you’re no longer just a retailer—you’re a trusted guide.
Serve First, Sell Second
Here’s how to shift from pitching to partnering:
✔️ Focus on service, not just customer service. Make people feel valued, not processed.
✔️ Guide, don’t push. Ask questions to uncover what matters to them—don’t just show inventory.
✔️ Inspire, don’t manipulate. Price promotions attract attention, but a great experience builds loyalty.
Educate to Empower
Education is your most powerful sales tool. Confident, informed customers buy more—and feel better about their decisions.
✔️ Use visual selling aids like demo lenses or in-store displays to explain options clearly. ✔️ Train staff to ask personalized questions—“What’s a day in your glasses like?” ✔️ Encourage recommendations based on lifestyle rather than price points.
Take Control of the Journey
Great sales don’t just happen—they’re designed. Here’s how to lead the customer experience intentionally:
Address Budget Upfront Open the money conversation early. Ask about insurance and offer options like multi-pair bundles at the start—not the end—of the appointment. This eases tension and sets the stage for value-driven choices.
Use Value Framing Try this: show the full, non-discounted price in one column, and the package deal with promotions in another. Let the customer see their savings. When value is visible, objections shrink.
Build Long-Term Relationships Sales don’t stop at checkout. Follow up. A thank-you note, a phone call, or a small gift turns a customer into a promoter.
Loyalty is a long game—and one of your most profitable ones.
Ask with Confidence
Sometimes, what closes a sale isn’t a pitch—it’s a simple ask.
I once asked for a job after a long interview process. The answer? “Yes—we were waiting for you to ask.”
The same goes for eyewear. If they’re ready, ask for the order. And when they say yes, stop selling and start writing it up.
✔️ Own the process ✔️ Build trust through service ✔️ Inspire confidence—not just in your products, but in your team
When you do this, you’ll sell more—without feeling like you’re selling.
Want More? Tune in to Revenue RX: Optical Retail Wins for the full episode and more ways to turn great service into great sales—without spending more on marketing.
Because in the end, your most powerful revenue stream is the customer right in front of you.
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With MyCon™ 2, Rodenstock takes four individual wearing parameters into account when calculating the lens (PD, CVD, PT & FFA). This provides a truly customized fit, that enhances the day-to-day vision, while providing maximum comfort.
Contact your Centennial Optical representative, for more information.
Centennial Optical is an independent, Canadian-owned company distributing ophthalmic frames and lenses, sunglasses, lab supplies, cases and accessories, nationally and internationally. Founded in 1967, Centennial sells optical goods and services to Eye Care Professionals (Optometrists, Opticians and Ophthalmologists), optical laboratories and optical retailers. Centennial is fully licensed by Health Canada to sell Class I and Class II medical devices. With corporate headquarters and central distribution located in Toronto, Centennial also has local customer service in Montreal and Vancouver.
Eyewear (Frames)
Centennial Optical began as a distributor of ophthalmic frames, selling its own exclusive brands. Today, in addition to being the Canadian distributor for several international designer brands of eyewear, such as Ann Taylor, BCBG MAXAZRIA, Ben Sherman, Champion, Christian Lacroix, FILA, Hackett, Jones New York, London Fog, Nicole Miller, Paradigm, Psycho Bunny, TLG and Vera Wang, Centennial works closely in developing and bringing to market Canadian fashion icons Alfred Sung, Roots and Beaver Canoe.
Lenses and Lab Supplies
Centennial is the Canadian wholesale distributor for Rodenstock and Kodak Lenses, plus other ophthalmic lenses from Signet Armorlite, Vision Ease, NuPolar and other lenses by Younger Optics, and lens products from a number of other manufacturers. Centennial’s house lens brands, CHOICE and Centoptic, offer customers an exceptional combination of performance and value in a wide selection of materials and treatments. Centennial is also pleased to offer a full range of lab supplies from 3M, BPI, DAC Vision and other suppliers.
Sunwear
Centennial is proud to distribute Serengeti, Bollé, and REVO Sunwear, both plano and Rx, to Canadian ECPs. As the maker of the world’s finest driving sunglass, Serengeti utilizes only the latest technologies and premium materials. Bollé constantly refines their trademark combination of fit, fashion and comfort, for high quality performance and protection. REVO sunglasses blend sleek design, tailored fit and legendary lens protection.
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Members of the optometry community came together in Boston recently to remember and honor the legacy of Professor Brien Holden, PhD. Holden was the founder of Optometry Giving Sight (OGS). He was a leader in expanding access to vision care worldwide and passed away in 2015. Holden established OGS in 2003 in collaboration with the World Council of Optometry and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness as a fundraising organization to support programs globally to end uncorrected refractive error.
During the evening, OGS presented the inaugural Brien Holden Founders Award to Dr. Greg Pearl and to CooperVision for their longstanding efforts to continue the work that Holden did during his lifetime to expand access to vision care and for their ongoing and generous support of OGS.
In his opening remarks, OGS U.S. Board Chair Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón remembered Holden as “a man of action and a man of passion. He was a fearless colleague, a passionate friend, and a tireless leader in the fight against uncorrected refractive error.”
He continued by reminding attendees that “your belief in the work carried forward by OGS has made a profound difference. Your support has helped us tackle the underlying cause of preventable blindness and vision impairment – lack of access to vision care.
Since its inception, OGS has helped establish 14 optometry schools, trained more than 8714,000 optometrists and paraprofessionals, and built over 200 vision centers for clinical training and patient care.
“With your support,” Aragón told attendees, “we have provided desperately needed vision care to over 15 million people in more than 70 countries.
“As I remember my friend and colleague, Brien, I can’t help but think how proud he would be of what we have accomplished – together – in his memory.”
Optometry Giving Sight is a non-profit organization that raises funds from optometrists, optometry practices, and optometry-related businesses and corporations to award grants for sustainable, impactful projects that expand the profession and improve access to vision care in underserved areas of the world. For more information about OGS and its work, visit givingsight.org
Dr. Greg Pearl (second from right) accepts the Brien Holden Founders
Award from (l to r) OGS Canada Chair, Dr. Susan Cooper, OGS U.S. Board Chair
Dr. Juan Carlos Aragon, and OGS Executive Director, Donna J. Mikulecky
CooperVision President Jerry Warner (second from right) accepts the Brien Holden Founders Award from (l to r) OGS Canada Chair, Dr. Susan Cooper, OGS U.S. Board Chair Dr. Juan Carlos Aragon, and OGS Executive Director, Donna J. Mikulecky Guests mingle during the reception during the Brien
Holden Founders Award Dinner
EssilorLuxottica announced the launch of SWITCH: Vision Innovation Summit by EssilorLuxottica, a new industry wide event that will explore the driving forces behind the industry’s rapid transformation. SWITCH will provide a captivating 3-day experience for eyecare professionals that will spark meaningful conversation around everything from AI wearables to med-tech to myopia innovation, capturing the true potential beyond frames and lenses to shape the future of vision care.
The new event will be held March 9-11, 2026 in Orlando for partners from the Americas, leading immediately into Vision Expo, and in Monte-Carlo on April 13-15, 2026 for customers in EMEA and Asia, allowing the Company to present a global and unified vision for the future.
As EssilorLuxottica continues to push the boundaries of patient care through advanced vision care, AI eyewear and med-tech solutions, SWITCH will be an ideal platform for provocative dialogue among industry professionals around advancements in areas such as AI and data science.
“The world we play and practice in tomorrow will be more predictive, more personalized, more powerful through AI, data and other developments, and it’s essential that eyecare professionals are in the driver’s seat. In creating SWITCH, we will provide an ideal environment for the kind of elevated conversation, discovery and relationships needed to succeed in a much more connected world. We look forward to delivering an experience that truly reflects the inspiring times we’re living in,” said Francesco Milleri, Chairman and CEO, and Paul du Saillant, Deputy CEO at EssilorLuxottica.
More details on the event will be shared in the coming weeks and months. For customers in the Americas, please visit the following link for more information and to register to the event: CLICK HERE
Alcon announces the Canadian launch of PRECISION7, a one-week replacement contact lens designed to deliver comfort, hydration, and an intuitive replacement schedule.
Explore how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and charity transform eye care. Learn to build patient trust, reduce burnout, and strengthen your team dynamics.
The U.S. optical industry reached $69.5 billion in 2025 despite declines in product volume and eye exams, according to Market inSights from The Vision Council.
The Contact Lens Institute has named 17 optometrists and opticians from the U.S. and Canada as its 2026 Visionaries, recognizing leaders in contact lens education and best practices.
BonLook ranks first among eyewear retailers in the 2026 Léger WOW Study, earning top marks for customer experience and digital performance across Canada.
Alcon announces the Canadian launch of PRECISION7, a one-week replacement contact lens designed to deliver comfort, hydration, and an intuitive replacement schedule.
Explore how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and charity transform eye care. Learn to build patient trust, reduce burnout, and strengthen your team dynamics.
The U.S. optical industry reached $69.5 billion in 2025 despite declines in product volume and eye exams, according to Market inSights from The Vision Council.
The Contact Lens Institute has named 17 optometrists and opticians from the U.S. and Canada as its 2026 Visionaries, recognizing leaders in contact lens education and best practices.
BonLook ranks first among eyewear retailers in the 2026 Léger WOW Study, earning top marks for customer experience and digital performance across Canada.
Alcon announces the Canadian launch of PRECISION7, a one-week replacement contact lens designed to deliver comfort, hydration, and an intuitive replacement schedule.
Explore how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and charity transform eye care. Learn to build patient trust, reduce burnout, and strengthen your team dynamics.
The U.S. optical industry reached $69.5 billion in 2025 despite declines in product volume and eye exams, according to Market inSights from The Vision Council.
The Contact Lens Institute has named 17 optometrists and opticians from the U.S. and Canada as its 2026 Visionaries, recognizing leaders in contact lens education and best practices.
BonLook ranks first among eyewear retailers in the 2026 Léger WOW Study, earning top marks for customer experience and digital performance across Canada.
Alcon announces the Canadian launch of PRECISION7, a one-week replacement contact lens designed to deliver comfort, hydration, and an intuitive replacement schedule.
Explore how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and charity transform eye care. Learn to build patient trust, reduce burnout, and strengthen your team dynamics.
The U.S. optical industry reached $69.5 billion in 2025 despite declines in product volume and eye exams, according to Market inSights from The Vision Council.
The Contact Lens Institute has named 17 optometrists and opticians from the U.S. and Canada as its 2026 Visionaries, recognizing leaders in contact lens education and best practices.
BonLook ranks first among eyewear retailers in the 2026 Léger WOW Study, earning top marks for customer experience and digital performance across Canada.
