People have lots of reasons for buying new sunglasses. On average, most of us buy a pair every year. Others buy several pairs per year for no other reason than they have trouble not losing or damaging their sunglasses. Interestingly enough, there is an entirely separate group of eyewear purchasers who buy sunglasses because they collect them.
A recent Chart Attack piece written by contributor Marela Bush talks about the hottest trends in summer sunglasses for 2020. In her very first paragraph, Bush references collecting. She states that you can never have too many pairs of sunglasses as a collector.
Collectors are the subject of this post. We do not talk about them much because they don't tend to be a big target for marketing. But in these times when retail is struggling, it pays to market to anyone who will buy.
The Psychology of Collecting
Collectors acquire objects to add to their collections. Sometimes they have practical uses for what they collect, other times their collections are for display purposes only. The secret to marketing sunglasses to collectors is understanding the psychology of collecting.
According to a piece published by The National Psychologist, collectors fall into one of four categories. First are those who collect specific items as investments. They might collect art in hopes that it will appreciate in value over time. They are followed by people who collect certain things just for the enjoyment of doing so.
Third, are collectors who are less concerned about what they collect and influenced more by the social aspects of meeting and spending time with fellow collectors. And finally, there are those who collect in order to preserve memories of the past.
All four types of people are relevant to you as an eyewear retailer. They all matter to you if what they collect are pairs of designer sunglasses.
Market to Those Interests
Now that you know the reasons people collect, how do you suppose you could market to them? The person who collects as an investment might be inspired by public figures like Elton John who, by the way, has a collection of several thousand pairs of designer sunglasses. Individually, each pair is probably worth very little. But the collection is probably quite valuable as a whole.
Unique sunglasses that do not fit the mold are perfect for these types of buyers. Something you sell that most other retailers do not will find a home in their collections. Why? Because uniqueness adds value to any collection.
People who collect designer eyewear to preserve some part of the past are great candidates for classic aviator and cat eye frames with mirrored or black lenses. They are not going to be interested in hot pinks and greens, modern shapes, and so forth. Give them the classic look and they will be happy.
The easiest of the four groups to market to are those who collect designer sunglasses for the sheer joy of doing so. These are the types of people who are open to the most varied styles and colors. You can market to them by promoting sunglasses alongside other fun things – like going to the beach or enjoying drinks by the pool.
An Extra Stream of Revenue
It is probably fair to say that eyewear collectors won’t support your entire business. But they can be an extra stream of revenue when normal sales lag. As a wholesaler of designer sunglasses, we understand the importance of reaching every potential audience we can. We recommend retailers do the same. Right now, collectors are an audience just waiting to be tapped.