Independent retailers should choose eyewear from customer need, available space, and a measurable test plan rather than a generic opening formula.
Readers
Carry enough powers to make the category functional and use reorders to improve the mix.
Sunglasses
Choose enough style breadth to create choice, then deepen the frame families that prove demand.
Display size
Countertop works for a smaller test. Floor works when the store needs enough capacity to answer the business question credibly.
What decides expansion
Track gross-profit contribution, sell-through, stockouts, reorders, and aging. Add space only when the current program is productive and constrained.
Continue: Independent Retailers resource center.