By Gwendolyn Plummer
Friday, November 15, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Our minds might be on Thanksgiving right now, but the winter holidays are right around the corner—and the retail industry needs to be ready. At the end of October, the National Retail Federation (NRF)
shared its outlook for the 2024 holiday spending season, reporting that consumer spending is expected to reach a new record of $902 per person on average across gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal purchases. The NRF said this figure is about $25 per person more than last year’s, and $16 per person higher than the previous record, which was set in 2019.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—This Friday, November 15, is America Recycles Day, a day dedicated to increasing education about recycling and how it helps reduce waste, save energy and conserve resources. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s
National Recycling Goal is to increase the U.S. recycling rate to 50 percent by 2030—something we can all get involved in every day, and double down on today. Last year, in recognition of America Recycles Day, the EPA wrote, “The recycling efforts of communities and business throughout the United States help with this success and growth."
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, November 7, 2024 8:30 AM
CHICAGO—
Prevent Blindness has declared November as Diabetes-Related Eye Disease Awareness Month, dedicated to spreading awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment of diabetes due to the risk of developing significant vision loss and blindness. To further this goal of educating the public, including parents and care partners of those with diabetes and allied health professionals, Prevent Blindness is offering free resources. A full list of resources is available
here. As November continues, there’s plenty of time for ECPs to get involved and educate their communities this Diabetes-Related Eye Disease Awareness Month.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, October 31, 2024 8:30 AM
PARIS—In 2024,
Silmo presented its
Responsible Company Prize to two eyewear companies: Skans and Vanni. The prize is open to all Silmo exhibitors and aims to bring visibility to companies that are involved in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) while inspiring other companies and raising awareness. Judged by an independent panel of optical professionals, a designer and CSR experts (including journalists and Hysspo consultants), the prize takes three main areas into account.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, October 27, 2024 1:00 AM
NEW YORK—There are countless roles in the optical industry—dozens of different job titles, daily workflows, expectations and callings—but we all have one common goal: to get eyecare to everyone who needs it, in one way or another. In large part, achieving that goal comes down to removing barriers to eyecare access—and one crucial way to remove those barriers is to physically bring eyecare to those who need it, to meet patients where they are.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, October 24, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—On October 10, people worldwide, both within and outside of the optical industry, took the time to recognize and celebrate World Sight Day. A day dedicated to the promotion of eyecare and overall eye health, this year’s World Sight Day celebrations were specifically directed at shining a light on eyecare for children. As
reported in
VMAIL, many of the industry’s largest companies and organizations stepped up for World Sight Day—but they aren’t the only ones who made a difference. The work many ECPs do on a local level and in their own communities is just as impactful. Here, we take a look at how some indies recognized this important day for our industry.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 8:30 AM
MUNICH—Ahead of the 2025 show in Munich, Germany, opti organizers have announced two
sustainability awards: the second edition of the opti Sustainability Award and the new opti Sustainability Youngster Award. Each award is earmarked with €3,700 in prize money. “With two opti Sustainability Awards, opti is picking up on important industry developments and is now also promoting the next generation and their creative, unconventional ideas as a source of inspiration,” said Cathleen Kabashi, opti’s exhibition director.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, October 10, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—
Prevent Blindness has once again declared October as Contact Lens Safety Month, with the goal of educating the public on the proper use of contact lenses, both prescription and cosmetic. With Halloween on the horizon and some costumes calling for a change in eye color, October is an ideal time to reinforce the importance of proper and safe contact lens use; to do so, Prevent Blindness is offering a variety of resources including fact sheets, social media graphics and
dedicated webpages. For ECPs, there are plenty of ways to prioritize contact lens safety this month. Here, we’re taking a look at the social media push that some indies are using to spread the word.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Friday, October 4, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—This coming Thursday, October 10, is World Sight Day, an annual day dedicated to the promotion of eyecare and overall eye health, as well as raising awareness for blindness and vision impairments around the world. For 2024 in particular, World Sight Day is shining a special light on the vision health of young people, aiming to ensure “a world where every child has eye health that is accessible, available and affordable,” the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness
said. This year’s focus on children’s eye health for World Sight Day is coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) under its Love Your Eyes campaign banner.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, September 26, 2024 8:30 AM
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania—
Waste Free Oceans (WFO) and
Eco Eyewear have teamed up to launch a waste-catching barrier in the Feza River, a river located in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam. Alongside local partner The Recyclers, the two companies installed a barrier that will capture plastic waste that would otherwise end up in the Indian Ocean. This captured waste will then be collected, recycled and repurposed, with some of it being transformed into eco-friendly products.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Friday, September 13, 2024 7:30 AM
NEWARK, N.J.—Jobson Optical Research released its annual
ECP Income Study this month, offering new insights into what ECPs across the country are earning. This extensive study includes the average income for optometrists, opticians/dispensers and optical office managers in the U.S—these metrics include independent ECPs, offering a helpful guidepost for other independents. In addition, a full comparison of males vs. females is broken out across all demographics.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 8:30 AM
LONGARONE and MILAN, Italy—
Marcolin has joined the
United Nations Global Compact, a global pact launched in 2000 with the aim of mobilizing businesses to align their strategies and operations with the UN’s Ten Universal Principles on human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. The pact also aims at achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Marcolin joins more than 20,000 other companies and 2,500 non-business signatories from 167 countries around the world, including more than 500 in Italy, where Marcolin is based.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, September 5, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—
Women In Optometry has announced that it will award nine women ODs with a Theia Award of Excellence on Thursday, November 7, 2024, during the American Academy of Optometry’s Academy 2024 in Indianapolis, Ind., according to an announcement from
WO. This is the ninth year for this annual awards ceremony. Each year,
Women In Optometry asks readers and friends to submit the names of women who have been extraordinarily influential in the industry. This year, more than 200 nominations were submitted; the
WO advisory board votes for the winners.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, September 1, 2024 1:31 AM
September is here, and for millions of Americans that means one thing in particular: back to school. Whether it’s students, caretakers, teachers, administrators, or anyone else who works alongside the school system, one of the busiest times of the year is kicking into high gear. And, of course, there are few things more important heading into the school year than ensuring students have the best possible eye health to help them succeed.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Friday, August 30, 2024 8:30 AM
CHICAGO—September is here, bringing with it cooler nights, back-to-school business, and, of course, the fall sports season. In recognition of this,
Prevent Blindness has again declared September as Sports Eye Safety Month, in order to educate the public on the risk of painful and potentially blinding eye injuries that can occur while playing sports without the proper eye protection. According to
new data from the organization, there were more than 32,600 sports-related eye injuries treated in the United States in 2023, underscoring the importance of sharing this information.