NEW YORK—Vision Expo once again celebrated independent boutique retailers, by allowing them to showcase their products, stores, visions and stories to the optical industry. Dozens of retailers submitted entries but the group was narrowed down to five finalists. Announced at last week's Vision Expo East, it was Edward Beiner, based in South Miami, Fla. who was selected as the 2019 OPTImum Retail Award winner. But even as Beiner accepted his honor and acknowledged in his remarks, each of the other finalists represent very distinct visions of curated collections, special store environments and unique messaging to consumers with a high dose of personal expertise and service that are hard to match.
Just after the awards were announced during Vision Expo East: Edward Beiner, center, with the OPTImum award, is surrounded by the other finalists. They are with Reed’s Tarrance Lackran, far left, The Vision Council’s Mitch Barkley, third from right, and the OPTImum judges who also considered social media voting on the prize. They include eyewear designer Christian Roth, second from left, Dr. Arian Fartash, second from right, and 20/20’s James Spina, editor-in-chief, far right.
Stated Edward Beiner, who runs the Eyes Forward stores in southern Florida, “I have had my own business for over 30 years and we are experiencing both demographic and technological changes in the retail world. In business and in our personal lives. It is important to grow and adapt. Eyes Forward is about looking to the future, embracing a new generation, new technologies and new designs in a much more globalized world.”
Edward Beiner Eyes Forward
The other finalists this year included:
Art of Optiks, Wayzata, Minn.
Black Optical, Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla. and Dallas, Texas
Focus Optical, The Woodlands, Texas
Le Lunettier, Milan, Italy
