VM brings you the latest information from optical companies and organizations responding to the coronavirus. Charmant Group is now producing protective face shields that can help reduce the exposure to droplets which may contain COVID-19. The frame is made of injected resin plastic and the shield can easily be removed and replaced with another sterile shield. These first 5,050 face shields and an additional 2,000 protective goggles will be donated to local medical professionals in the Fukui Prefecture in Japan, which is where the Group’s headquarters is located.

Charmant Shield is scheduled to be available from mid-May 2020, and Charmant will increase production capacity to produce 50,000 by end of May, 100,000 at the end of June and 200,000 to 300,000 per month onward from July. The group's goal is to supply a total of 2 million units by the end of December 2020.

Masakiyo Honjo, president and CEO of Charmant said, "We would like to use our technology, which has been developed through our optical frame and medical devices production, to help as many people who are fighting against Coronavirus in the field as possible. For the moment we will start by supplying within Japan but are looking to develop worldwide distribution as our production capacity increases.”

De Rigo REM has launched a resource center as a support system for customers throughout the pandemic. Available online, De Rigo REM's resource center includes a variety of dynamic content including helpful industry partnerships, practice management trainings, a five-pillar business approach to surviving COVID-19, HR support and safe practices for cleaning glasses.

De Rigo REM's industry partnerships include:

• Vision Insight, which offers customers a free comprehensive website analysis, a social media consultation and more.
• Anagram, which provides a free financial audit as well as one month of their services.
• OMG!/Contentlinq, through De Rigo REM's co-op program.
• My Frame Gallery: Also through the co-op program, De Rigo REM partnered with Jobson to offer a one-year subscription package to provide customers with a customizable online solution for in-store sales by allowing them to create a virtual frame board, utilize virtual try-on as well as access to the Frames Data platform, and more.

The eight practice management trainings are: Creating an Experience, The DNA of Product Assortment, Analyze/Implement/Grow, Art of Dispensing, Optical Retail Apocalypse, Generational Demographics, Communicate—Connect, and Art of Multiple Pairs.

Created with De Rigo REM's director of HR, the company has created an HR hotline email to which customers can reach out to get free HR resources and solutions to run their business during the pandemic and beyond. The company has also compiled a series of webinars and podcasts that provide additional support and guidance, which it plans to update weekly.

In a statement, the company said, "As we continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that our customers need our support now more than ever. That's why, over the past few months, we have been working tirelessly to come up with a number of dynamic resources to provide value and guidance to ECPs navigate through this unprecedented time."

Etnia Barcelona shared a Q&A interview with founder David Pellicer in which he discussed the company's response to the pandemic. Pellicer said that Etnia Barcelona continues to provide all its usual services and support, and has "expanded our financing plans to allow more flexibility for missing, delayed and early payments."

As it continues to provide usual services, Etnia Barcelona is "doing everything necessary, ensuring that our facilities and collections are constantly disinfected. Our entire sales network uses sanitary materials," according to Pellicer, and 90 percent of the team is working remotely.

Through the Etnia Barcelona Foundation, the company is also working on a post-pandemic project to distribute 150,000 pairs of glasses to optical stores so that they can help struggling families in their area. The company has also implemented a program called Drive to Store, which diverts sales from its websites and flagship store to the optical store point-of-sale, encouraging traffic and sales at Etnia Barcelona's trade customers’ outlets.

Starting in September, all Etnia Barcelona eyewear will contain a unique code that increases the traceability of the glasses and allows for a greater control of distribution to authorized points, and will also allow for the warranty to be activated at the optical store.

Pellicer said, "This is a different kind of war, with many victims and plenty of heroes—like our health care providers, to whom we will never fully be able to express our gratitude. It’s time to look forward and take action by valuing what we’ve learned. It’s a period of change, but more than anything, of sky-high hopes. In the future, a higher awareness and happiness awaits. And, like always, a Herculean effort."

EyeCarePro has launched an in-depth COVID-19 Practice Resource Page and Recovery Guide which provides ODs and practice managers with the steps to take for a strong and vibrant recovery. This includes downloadable campaigns, free telehealth, communication strategies, and ways to shore up revenue during reduced operations.

A major theme is ongoing patient and community engagement to maintain your brand, reassure patient concerns, and keep people up to date—which will also serve to maintain great momentum for the long-term recovery, the company noted.

This resource page provides a planning eBook and a broad variety of in-depth resources for ODs and practice managers to use to implement the suggestions in the eBook. This includes:
● Free social media campaign downloads related to COVID-19.
● Webinars covering topics such as social media, optometry campaigns, practice video, and more.
● A video crash-course to ensure your practice website is ready to perform.
● Guides and eBooks covering Facebook for Optometry and more.

Referring to the EyeCarePro COVID-19 strategy, Zvi Pardes, head of content marketing said, “Our mission has remained dedicated to helping eyecare professionals to help more patients. But, like everyone else, we had to pivot fast as everything went into lockdown. So we got to work immediately to make tools such as HIPAA-compliant telehealth available to any practice, as well as campaigns, tips, and marketing strategies they can use to improve their online presence whether they’re our clients or not. Our COVID-19 Survival Kit is the culmination of those efforts, and any practice that wants to bounce back in a serious way should take some time to peruse what we have there.”


Healthy Eyes Advantage (HEA) has developed a program to help independent eyecare professionals (IECPs) optimize their recovery. HEA’s Recovery Reboot: Your Path to Powering Up Your Practice is a six-part series that serves as a guide in the weeks leading up to and following reopening.

The plan includes both high-level business strategies and practice management tactics to help IECPs not only reopen successfully in the short term but to also implement new tools that will enhance revenue and diversify their practices for the long term. The program features checklists in key areas such as business strategies, physical space, staff, patients and vendor partners, along with simple steps to follow and suggested time frames for implementing each step.

To learn more about HEA and the Recovery Reboot program, call (800) 959-2020, Option 3 and speak with any HEA Solutions Specialist. The program, plus a comprehensive package of survival resources, can be downloaded at Healthy Eyes Advantage COVID-19 Resources.

Safilo continues to globally implement multiple controls and prevention measures in response to the current situation, following all safety procedures throughout the entire supply chain, from its manufacturing sites to its distribution network. In its North American distribution center in Denver, Colo. and in Smith manufacturing plant and lensing facility based in Clearfield, Utah, Safilo reported that it is continuing to provide uninterrupted service, taking orders 24/7 online via its b2b websites and customer service centers.

Safilo N.A. customer service teams continue working remotely and operating with regular hours. The company has introduced a new chat feature on its b2b sites in the U.S. and Canada which allows additional ways for sales agents to engage with customers and provide them with updates.

Safilo is also providing free, online learning resources with the hashtag #wearehereforyou. The company continues to offer a series of virtual training seminars on a variety of topics, from brand and product training to visual merchandising and eyewear technology. These classes have been extended through the end of May due to strong interest and demand, Safilo said.

The classes are offered daily at 11:00 a.m. CT Monday through Friday. Customers can contact their Safilo sales rep or visit Safilo’s b2b sites in the U.S. at and Canada, at www.mysafilo.com and www.mysafilocanada.com, respectively, for sign-up details. Videotaped versions of these virtual training seminars will be available to Safilo customers in North America starting the week of May 4 via Safilo’s b2b sites to be viewed 24/7.

Additionally, Safilo is developing a range of protective eyewear solutions, including face shields and safety glasses produced in its factories in the U.S. and Italy, that will be available for eyecare practitioners to use in-store and to retail to end consumers. Products will be available in the near future with more details to follow.

In other news, Safilo’s Clearfield, Utah manufacturing center received confirmation by the Defense Industrial Base Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce that its work under contract for Smith products is deemed critical and, as such, facilities have remained open to support existing contracts to the maximum extent possible. The Smith lens lab, located within the Clearfield facility, have adjusted work hours, production and assembly flows in accordance with CDC guidelines and provided necessary PPE materials to staff.

Safilo said it will soon be distributing PPE items such as safety masks, hand sanitizer and more to its global field sales force and showroom staff, in addition to providing important guidelines on compliance measures for the reopening of businesses.

Hauppauge, N.Y.-based Santinelli International announced that it has fully reopened as of May 4. Santinelli’s entire workforce is back online including field sales, marketing, field service, and finance. Additionally, their New York headquarters and distribution center is fully operational, with limited staff necessary, to support the essential business. The remaining staff remains working remotely, fully connected to their customers and operations.

Santinelli said all of its distribution channels are fully functioning as well as its supply chain from Japan, Italy and other parts of the world, enabling the company to provide the necessary products, supplies, service and support to its customer base.

“We and our vendors are fully prepared and committed in our continual support of our customers in every way possible,” said Gerard Santinelli, president and CEO.

Santinelli International can be reached at 1-800-644-EDGE (3343), and at www.santinelli.com or the Sios Optical ecommerce site www.siosoptical.com.

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