Cohen’s Fashion Optical is reaching out to a new consumer and is today unveiling its first in-house designed collection of eyewear, The Collective.
The retail chain, about to turn 90 years old, rolled out a revamped Web site earlier this month and introduced its first content hub, C, on March 31. In addition to the private label frames going on sale today, a marketing digital management system will give all the brand’s franchises access to customize more than 100 marketing assets for their local markets.
“This brings us to the party of the $99 price group and that younger demographic that we haven’t talked to in ten years. They don’t know us,” said Sheila Haile, chief marketing officer of Cohen’s Fashion Optical. She added that the eyewear ranges from classic black and tortoise (inspired by original frames that were sold at the first Cohen’s store) to brighter-colored and ombré styles.
The Collective, comprised of about 50 silhouettes, will only be sold at Cohen’s recently renovated Delancey Street location to start. All eyewear in the collection sells for $99, inclusive of the frame, polycarbonate lenses and an eye exam.
While the site doesn’t have e-commerce — it’s a franchise business where each store has different ownership — Haile said online is still important.
“We want to make sure that people see us where they are looking [online], and franchisees can market on a local level,” she said.