Eyes up: Japanese eyewear maker Zoff opens its doors here next week

SINGAPORE — Japanese eyewear maker Zoff is all set to make inroads into Singapore, with the opening of its first outlet on April 7 at Orchard Central.

Founded in 2001, it is one of Japan’s leading eyewear chain stores, Zoff, with nearly 200 stores across Japan and China. According to a report in Nikkei Asian Review, the company plans to have 15 outlet in Singapore by 2020.

While fashion styles are subjective, what fans often rave about Zoff is the customer service (it’s simple and fuss-free) and quality.

Another key factor into Zoff’s success in Japan, was its affordability, with prices for its standard glasses starting off at an average of 3,900 yen (S$48.70). And yes, that includes the frame and lens.

And like its popular Japanese competitor, Owndays, which made its entry into Singapore in 2013, you can pick up your spectacles in a very short period of time.

It varies depending on the number of customers in the store at the time, but the standard waiting time is usually about 30 minutes.

Fans have been speculating if the Singapore outlet will feature all the designs found in Japan — including a Pokemon glasses, PC glasses that promise to cut out about 50 per cent of blue tight transmitted from computer screens or mobile devices, and the featured Zoff Smart Hakuto model, which is made from Ultem, a resin that the company’s website claims is the same material used for the Lunar Rover’s wheel.

The store will also stock accessories, such as wipes and spectacles cases.

Of course, this move by Zoff is merely the latest in the advancement of Japanese discount eyewear chains into the South-east Asian market.

Intermestic, which operates Zoff, is expected to invest around 800 million yen in Singapore and is targeting annual sales of 1.5 billion yen here, reported Nikkei Asian Review.