Smith 2023 Sunglasses Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Sunglasses 2023 Retail Buyer‘s Guide
Brand: Smith Optics
Interviewee: Allie Flake, Eyewear Category Manager

What are the current trends in sunglasses for board sports?

Big 2023 trends in eyewear are an emphasis on bold, chunky frames (new for Smith for 2023: Lineup and Sway), shield styles as fashion beyond sport performance, glacier glasses for snowboarding and backcountry, and giving a nod to the 90s throwback styles with heavy wraparound 8 base frames for the snowboard and action sports crowd (Arvo).

How are you segmenting your sunglasses?

We segment our range by use case across several categories: Sport Performance (bike, run, endurance), Water Performance (angling, rafting, watersports), Active (hiking, outdoor), Lifestyle (around town), and Archive (re-issued best sellers from the 80s & 90s). We are introducing new styles across the entire range of our price points at Smith ($99 USD to $279 USD). From simple and sleek entry price point options with Carbonic lenses to premium performance pieces with ChromaPop and ChromaPop Glass lenses and added features like interchangble lenses, integrated retainer leases, flexible TPU side shields on glacier glasses, etc at the top end of our range.

Where do you expect your biggest growth in 2023?

Eyewear expansion in general and the growing popularity of our RX program
What frame shapes and colours are most popular from your offering and why?
Cylindrical shields styles, like the Wildcat (Smith #1 seller) and Bobcat styles that offer a modern, futuristic, mirrored effect with great coverage, more field of view, and multi-sport purpose with lifestyle crossover appeal.
Popular colors are Black, Chalk Rose, Marble and Hi-Vis.

What lens technologies are you currently working with?

SMITH’s ChromaPop technology continues to lead our lens story. ChromaPop technology uses dyes to selectively filter light in the confusion areas on the visible light spectrum. Reducing the right amount of light from the environment in the confusion areas causes color separation which allows for sharper color perception and better optics which enhances your overall experience. Within our ChromaPop lens range, we also offer Photochromic lenses that automatically adjust to variable light conditions.

Which lens colours and tints are you offering this year?
ChromaPop Glass Polarized Lenses:
Blue Mirror, Brown Mirror, Gray, Green Mirror, Broze Mirror, Low Light Yello, Black

Techlite Glass Lenses:
Polarchromic Ignitor, Polarchromic Copper Mirror, Polarchromic Copper

ChromaPop Polarized Lenses:
Gray Green, Brown, Platinum Mirror, Bronze Mirror, Blue Mirror, Black, Rose Gold Mirror, Violet Mirror, Opal Mirror, Green Mirrir, Black Gold, Red Mirror

ChromaPop Lenses:
Platinum Mirror, Green Mirror, Red Mirror, Black, Opal Mirror, Rose Gold Mirror, Violet Mirror, Bronze Mirror, Black Gold, Blue Mirror, Low Light Amber, Low Light Copper, Contrast Rose

Carbonic Polarized Lenses:
Gray Green, Brown, Platinum, Brown Gradient, Polarized Blue Mirror, Gold Mirror, Gray

Carbonic Lenses:
Gray Green, Brown, Gray
What are the main materials used in your 2023 sunglasses offering?
Our main frame material used throughout the sun line is our Evolve eco-friendly material made from non-GMO castor-oil-based resin to help reduce fossil fuel consumption. Many of our frames also feature Megol rubber temple and nosepads to add comfort and retention to help your sunnies stay put.
Do you offer prescription glasses?
Within North America, SMITH has introduced a direct-to-consumer RX option for prescription sunglass and everyday wear frames. Consumers can easily upload their prescriptions directly into the smithoptics.com site, pick their frames and lens options, and completed RX eyewear is delivered within 10-14 days of ordering.

Anything new in terms of sustainability ?

We continue to manufacture majority of our sunglasss range from Evolve bio-based frame material and have since launching our CORE Collection of eyewear made from post-consumer water bottles in early Spring 2022, Smith has continued its commitment to environmental improvements with the discontinuation of plastic waste across new packaging eyewear (and wintersports) products since Fall 2022 in North America, and onto the APAC region in 2023. All new retail boxes are now produced from post-consumer recycled cardboard that are designed to easily fold flat for compact storage for reuse and/or disposal.

How are you helping retailers sell this category?

Staff training and retail support is incredibly important to SMITH. We rely on shop employees to effectively communicate our design features and technology benefits to customers, and utilize several programs – including ENDVR – to provide training tools and incentives for promoting SMITH within their locations. In addition, we’ve added significant resources to our trade marketing division to support retail displays, graphics, and point of purchase opportunities to continue driving the SMITH message in store.

What’s your situation regarding stock and deliveries?

Inventory is healthy across our sunglass range and we keep a close eye on our best sellers so we can ensure timely replenishment to our customers. With multiple distribution facilities around the globe, we continue to push for prompt delivery to retailers and customers alike.

Best Sellers

Wildcat

Smith’s #1 best selling eyewear, the Wildcat is a hybrid-construction cylindrical lens sunglass constructed from durable TR90 and flexible TPU used in Smith goggles, providing extra-large coverage and protection like a goggle with the airflow and comfort of a sunglass. Includes interchangeable ChromaPop™ lenses designed to cut glare, enhance contrast, definition, natural color and unmatched clarity. All lenses are equipped with dirt, dust and grease resistant coatings. Includes a megol multi-adjustable nosepiece for customize fit and airflow.

Embark

A glacier glass design with a lightweight, impact-resistant frame and 6-base lens curvature for a modest wraparound fit. Comprised of Evolve™ bio-based frame material and ChromaPop™ lens technology designed to cut glare, enhance contrast, definition, natural color and unmatched clarity. Ventilated and flexible TPU side shields add peripheral light coverage, and when removed, converts from a performance to lifestyle sunglass. Also includes low-profile, adjustable Quickfit temples, autolock hinges, megol nose pads for a no-slip grip, and a goggle-inspired retainer strap.

Lowdown 2

The thing about classics is they transcend decades. The Lowdown 2 sunglass, Smith’s iconic frame, could be from this season, next season, or 1962. Featuring an Evolve bio-based frame, color-boosting ChromaPop™ lenses, megol nosepads, and autolock hinges. Simple, sophisticated, timeless.