(PRESS RELEASE) ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Vision Council and RX, organizers of Vision Expo, announce the finalists for the Fourth Annual OPTImum Retail Award, which celebrates independent boutique retailers by showcasing their products, stores, visions, and stories to the optical industry.
The 2022 finalists are:
- Black Optical (Dallas, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Tulsa, OK; St. Louis, MO)
- Eyes on Sheppard (North York, Ontario)
- Ocean Optometry (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
- OPTYX New York (New York, NY)
To determine the final winner, the vision care community is encouraged to learn more about each finalist and vote for their favorite here. Voting will be open from Tuesday, March 1 to Monday, March 14. Votes will then be factored into the judges’ scores.
The OPTImum Retail Award winner will be announced at Vision Expo East 2022 on Friday, April 1 at 5:45pm at The Bridge, following the EYE2EYE Series panel, Onward to Independence. Additionally, the winner will be featured in an article in 20/20 Magazine.
Applicants for the 2022 award were judged based on three categories, detailed below:
- Pivoting post-pandemic: Applicants will be asked to describe what changes they have made to their business since the onset of the pandemic.
- Community: Applicants will be asked to describe how they engage with their local community to create meaningful relationships.
- Aesthetics: Applicants will be asked to submit photos of their retail environment.
To determine the finalists, a committee of top industry leaders deliberated and voted based on the categories of pivoting post-pandemic, community and aesthetics. This year’s committee members include: Julia Gogosha, Gogosha Optique, 2020 winner; Christian Roth, Designer + Co-Founder of Christian Roth Eyewear & Optical Affairs and the first Council of Fashion Designers of America member in the eyewear category since 1990; and James Spina, 20/20 Magazine editor-in-chief and senior vice president.
The OPTImum Retail Award recognized Todd Rogers of Todd Rogers Eyewear in 2018. Edward Beiner of Edward Beiner Eyes Forward received the honor in 2019, followed by Julia Gogosha of Gogosha Optique in 2020.
Vision Expo East 2022 will take place at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City from March 31–April 3, 2022. The Show’s educational program, together with OptiCon@Vision Expo, will open Thursday, March 31 and the Exhibit Hall will open Friday, April 1. To register, click here.