
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 30, 1990                   TAG: 9003300781
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

OPTICAL INDEPENDENT IS THE WAY TO GO

DEBORAH EVANS' article "No clear choice" March 13 brings to light some interesting advertising ploys. Used in many retail markets for years, it's now most obvious in the optical field because "big business" such as U.S. Shoe, Revlon and Quaker Oats thought they saw a lucrative market and jumped into the optical business for the first time in the '80s.

The name of the game in retailing is getting customers through the door. The new ethic in advertising seems to be say anything, whatever it takes, to get them in. Competition is healthy, yes, but so is honesty; at least, when I was a kid, honesty saved certain parts of my anatomy from extreme pain.

I'm happy to have Quaker help me with breakfast, Cole National (Sears parking lots) make my keys, and even have Revlon tell my wife how to look her best. To help me see her most clearly - well, an optical independent, a 100 percent full-time optical professional is the way to go. So Deborah's article was A-one except for the title. The choice is clear: Find an honest independent eye-care practitioner; he'll give you your best eye-wear value, whatever your budget.\ E. CARTER LOWRY\ The New Opticians\ LEXINGTON

by CNB