Why it’s getting harder for opticians to sell

The eyewear market in Ukraine is changing actively. In Kyiv, competition is growing, customers have become more demanding, and standard sales methods are no longer enough for steady business growth.

Today, it’s not enough to simply have a good assortment or a convenient location. The customer expects fast service, a personalized approach, reminders to replace lenses, and clear communication. If that’s missing, a person easily switches to competitors.

At the same time, most optician shops keep losing a significant part of their profit not because there aren’t enough customers, but because there is no systematic approach to sales.

That’s why the question of how to increase optician sales in Kyiv today is directly related not only to advertising, but also to process automation, repeat sales, and correct work with the customer database.

How customer behavior in Ukraine has changed

After 2022, consumer behavior in Ukraine changed significantly. People started to spend more cautiously, make decisions more slowly, and compare offers more actively.

According to Google Consumer Insights, more than 60% of buyers check information online before making a purchase, even if they plan to buy offline. For opticians, this means that the customer already forms an impression of the service, prices, and the company’s level even before the visit.

At the same time, the value of service has grown significantly. PwC research shows that 73% of customers consider customer experience one of the key factors when choosing a company.

For opticians, this is especially important because people often return to places where:

  • they remember their parameters;
  • they find the right product quickly;
  • they remind them to replace lenses;
  • they can offer personalized recommendations.

That’s why modern optician marketing in Ukraine is increasingly built not around a one-time sale, but around long-term work with the customer.

Why repeat sales bring opticians the biggest growth

One of the biggest mistakes many optician shops make is focusing only on new customers.

In reality, repeat sales often bring much more profit to the business. This is especially true for contact lenses, solutions, sunglasses, and frame replacements.

According to Bain & Company, increasing customer retention by just 5% can raise a company’s profit by 25–95%.

In the eyewear business, this works particularly well because customers regularly return:

  • for new lenses;
  • for vision check-ups;
  • for eyewear replacements;
  • for related products.

For example, if an optician shop has 1,000 active contact-lens customers, but only 40% of them return regularly, the business effectively loses hundreds of repeat sales every month.

That’s why automatic reminders, personalized offers, and work with the customer base are becoming one of the main factors affecting optician sales growth. 

How sales scripts affect the average ticket

Another reason for profit loss is the lack of standardized communication with customers.

In many optician shops, sales depend entirely on the specific manager. One employee offers additional products and works confidently with objections; another simply processes the purchase.

As a result, the company gets unstable sales and different levels of service.

According to HubSpot, well-built sales scripts can increase conversion by 20–30%.

For opticians, this is especially relevant during:

  • selling more expensive lenses;
  • recommending coatings;
  • upselling accessories;
  • customers’ repeat visits.

For example, when an administrator doesn’t just sell lenses, but immediately reminds them about a solution or offers a spare pair, the average ticket can grow without additional advertising expenses.

How CRM helps increase sales in optician shops

Today, effective optician sales are already impossible without systematic data work.

That’s what CRM enables:

  • seeing the customer’s purchase history;
  • automatically reminding about repeat purchases;
  • analyzing the effectiveness of managers;
  • tracking repeat sales;
  • segmenting the customer base.

In the MARVI system, all these processes are combined into a single ecosystem for opticians.

For example, the system can automatically remind a customer to replace contact lenses after the right period or help a manager quickly see the person’s previous purchases.

This not only improves service, but directly affects sales.

According to Nucleus Research, CRM systems on average bring the business about $8.71 in profit for every $1 invested in CRM.

For opticians, this means:

  • more repeat sales;
  • a higher average ticket;
  • better conversion;
  • more stable work for managers.

In 2026, optician sales growth will no longer be possible only through assortment or advertising. The main competition is shifting to service, speed of work, and the effectiveness of customer interaction.

Opticians who systematically work with repeat sales, automate communication, and use CRM get significantly higher business stability and profitability.

That’s why modern optician marketing in Ukraine is increasingly based on analytics, automation, and personalized customer work. 

Want to see how it works in practice?

Submit an application and get a demonstration of the MARVI system for automating sales in optician shops.