Oshkosh gets close-up look at Eyemart Express

Matthew Day

Staff

March 5, 2024

OSHKOSH — After more than 30 years caring for eyes across America, Eyemart Express is focusing on a new location in Oshkosh at 1682 S. Koeller St.

The now-open store’s General Manager and Optician Ryan Alexander said strangely enough, the first-ever Eyemart Express was located just up the highway in Appleton.

This new store being relatively close to the original Eyemart, he said, represents the company “getting back to our roots.”

Oshkosh will be the fourth Eyemart Express location in Northeast Wisconsin, joining the established stores in Appleton, Ashwaubenon and Manitowoc.

“I used to go to that (Appleton) store,” Alexander said. “We’re excited to be a part of this community.”

That excitement thus far, he said, has been mutual.

“We had quite a few people already stopping in during the (associate) training, which was great,” he said. “We loved having them see the new location.”

Alexander said the enthusiasm leading up to the store’s opening was also apparent from the many appointments already scheduled with resident Optometrist Bethany Heinz.

“She’s booked out,” he said, “But there’ll be opportunities. (We prefer) if they can pre-schedule, but we’ll have walk-in availability also.”

Thanks to Heinz’s expertise, Alexander said, the location can serve customers whether or not they bring an eyeglass prescription from a separate clinic.

“The same-day service we offer is amazing — being able to provide a total experience for a customer,” he said. “Makes it even more convenient for people to get their high-quality, affordable glasses and sunglasses.”

Service in a blink
Alexander said he’s worn prescription glasses his whole life, making him empathetic to the needs of Eyemart customers.

One of the biggest issues customers face upon getting an eyeglass prescription, he said, is the need to have that prescription filled quickly.

“We can help people get new glasses in a blink with our on-site lens lab and skilled lab technicians,” he said. “Quality glasses can be ready in as little as 30 minutes.”

Granted, Alexander said, that process involves customers selecting glasses frames from Eyemart’s array of options.

Ryan Alexander said Eyemart Express has more than 2,000 affordable frame options available. Submitted Photo

“Before I started here, I had no clue — we have more than 2,000 quality and affordable frame options,” he said. “To me, that’s mind-boggling, the amount.”

Alexander said he and his staff are always willing to help customers select their favorite new frames, after which the on-site lab promptly installs the new prescription lenses.

“After that, we can get (customers) their glasses the same day, if not within an hour,” he said.

A new outlook
The fast service Eyemart Express offers, Alexander said, is more for the sake of customers’ convenience — never to rush them out of the store.

He said he and his staff’s top priority is to ensure customers receive a fully satisfactory education throughout the process.

Alexander said this educational component applies to all customers — from first-time glasses wearers of all ages to long-time wearers getting a new prescription, frames or bifocals.

“Everyone who we sit down and talk with, we talk to them about their prescription, lens types and frame types,” he said. “It’s always (about) having that conversation. If you’ve never had glasses before, you don’t know anything about them. So, it’s maybe even explaining what a prescription is and how that works, and asking them questions because they might be apprehensive that (they) now have to wear glasses.”

For adults new to glasses, Alexander said, Eyemart associates navigate a range of tastes from thin, minimizing frames to bold fashion statements.

For kids who are sometimes less than enthused about their new spectacles, he said, the negative, “four eyes”-type of connotation with glasses seems to be rightly in the rearview. Alexander said the conversations he has with children are not altogether unlike those he has with adults.

“It’s explaining to them in their terms why they need the glasses, and getting them excited about picking out a frame — ‘hey, what’s your favorite color?’ Or, ‘what are you into?'” he said. “That’s part of who they are at that age, and that’s part of a way for them to express themselves also.”

Kids, Alexander said, typically benefit from extra information to improve the likelihood they’ll wear the new glasses.

Part of the issue, he said, is how well their glasses fit, in part because children keep growing.

“Especially (with) real little ones, it’s harder for them to want to put them on and keep them on,” he said. “And with that, too, it’s explaining how to put them on, take them off and make sure they’re adjusted correctly because a big reason (kids don’t wear glasses) could be they’re uncomfortable. You always want to make sure they’re fitting right, that they’re not sliding down. That makes it a lot easier for (kids) to keep them on.”

Alexander said it’s always a special moment when someone gets new, effective glasses — which is what he said he finds most rewarding about his work.

Ryan Alexander

“One of the most amazing things is when you have little kids or even adults who get glasses for the first time, they put them on and you see that big smile on their faces,” he said. “They’re like, ‘wow, that’s what it’s like to see?’ That’s an amazing feeling for me. I love that because I know it made a difference in their lives.”

These moments — including when a glasses wearer corrects or updates his or her prescription — Alexander said happen nearly every day for him at Eyemart.

He said there’s an extra thrill to sharing those moments with those who serve the community.

“We offer additional everyday discounts to teachers, school staff, veterans, military members and first responders and their families, with valid IDs,” he said. “That was another thing I found neat about this company because not everywhere does that. It’s a way to show our appreciation for their hard work and sacrifice.”

Alexander said more than anything, he’s excited about helping the Oshkosh community have those “life changer” experiences.

“One of the biggest things is the focus on making the shopping experience for glasses fast, easy and affordable because that’s truly what it is here,” he said. “It’s amazing meeting the people and talking to everybody, so we’re happy we can be here and provide a service for them. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

For all details on the new store, visit eyemartexpress.com.