by Bailey White
Staff Writer
Things are looking bright for 20/15, the new designer eyewear store at the Landing. Brothers Carl and Ervin Bartley and their cousin Sandra Hall opened the store in November to offer Jacksonville a high-end eyewear center comparable to the ones in bigger cities such as Atlanta and New York.
“We have a lot of trendy, urban looks,” said Hall. “If you’re looking for something unique or that you’ve seen in a magazine, you can find it here.”
“I decided Jacksonville needed a high end boutique,” said Carl Bartley, who during his 15-year career in the optical industry has worked with musicians such as Elton John and R&B star Usher.
The store’s inventory includes frames in every color and material and brands such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Vera Wang, Fendi, LA Eyewear and Skaga.
“We didn’t want the frames to look like something you could get anywhere,” said Hall, adding that 20/15 is the only store in Jacksonville to carry some of the brands.
The store is equipped with an exam room, which will soon be occupied by a full-time optometrist.
“It could happen as early as January,” said Hall, who lives in New Jersey where she runs a marketing and consulting business.
She expects most of their clients will be the downtown professionals and “urbanites,” who can stop in on their lunch hour to pick up new glasses.
“The store is for anyone who wears stylish frames,” she said. “We’re seeing a very interesting combination of people right now.”
Business is going well for the trio, who will initiate an aggressive advertising campaign in the next few months.
“We exceeded our first month’s forecast with virtually no advertising,” said Hall.
The store is also benefiting from Landing foot traffic drawn to Carl Bartley’s window displays.
“I love showing my product,” he said. “And I like to do it in a unique way.”
The store, with its light wood floors and pumpkin colored walls, is definitely eye catching.
“We wanted the store to be different,” said Hall.
The partners each bring their own set of skills to the store. Hall, whose experience is in the pharmaceutical industry, handles marketing, while Ervin Bartley reports to the store in the evenings after his full-time job with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Carl Bartley is the “frame expert,” and at the store on a daily basis..
“It was Carl’s vision,” said Hall, adding they hope new residential developments will contribute to their success.
“When I did my market research and saw the residential growth downtown, I knew it would be a good place to be,” said Hall. “We decided to get in early and get ourselves grounded. This will be the place to be very soon.”