TROY, Mich.--SoftLight, maker of
photochromic lenses and matching photochromic frames, has expanded
is offerings with the addition of SoftLites, a line of semifinished
and progressive photochromic lenses, targeting independent
wholesale labs as customers. The new lenses debuted at OLA 2004 in
Nashville in November.
SoftLight is offering the lenses as
a standalone product, as well as part of a frame-and-lens offering.
Sadia Benhajla, SoftLight's chief executive officer, told VM, "More
than 50 percent of our customer base was wholesale labs before OLA
2004. Last year, we led with frames, but in 2005, we will lead with
lenses." The company has customers nationwide, and intends to grow
its presence through increased marketing efforts, which include
point-of-sale items, and ultraviolet demonstrators that show
customers how both the frames and the lenses change under increased
sunlight.
Benhajla said that customers have
been responding to the product as both standalone lenses and
frame-and-lens packages. "We're giving them more prescriptions now
in photochromic. A big part of our plan is to have our
semi-finished and PAL lenses become one of the preferred choices
for our customers. SoftLight also plans to introduce more
photochromic materials and accessories to increase the value
package, "and ultimately, our customers' profitability," Benhajla
said.
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| Sadia
Benhajla |
The new PALs and semi-finished
lenses are being introduced in four colors--blue, pink, gray, and
brown--with plans to add to more colors (yellow and purple) in the
near future. The PALs have a 12-mm corridor that fits in with
consumer demand for short-corridor PALs. The semi-finished lenses
come in 1.56 index. The photochromic PAL blanks are available from
plano base to 10.00D base with progressive adds from +1.50D to
+3.50D. The ultraviolet demonstrator is available for purchase from
SoftLight, and is free with a minimum quantity purchase.
According to the company, the inmass
photochromic lens technology provides faster activation and
deactivation times, and uniform depth of colors across the complete
lens.
SoftLight, which debuted last year,
also offers AuroraLites with flexible hingeless frames, the
titanium Aurora Metallica collection, and MagicLites photochromic
children's eyewear.
--Seth J. Bookey