September 1, 2016 – In early 2016, East Coast Shades opened at Parkside Place on 4 Harrison Street in Cocoa Village. The origins of the specialty sunglasses boutique trace back six years to 2010 when Owner and Founder Sindy Smith started a sunglasses business specializing in polarized lenses unlike any other in Brevard County.
“Protect your eyes with polarize and the theme of eye healthcare was my focus from day one,” said Smith.
Smith became an advocate for eye healthcare and increasing its awareness after learning from her optometrist the importance of protecting retinas from sun damage as prevention against cancer of the eye and other diseases. This knowledge, combined with her desire to start her own business, was the inspiration behind an eyewear business dedicated to eye health.
“Polarization is a special chemical film and it was developed in 1938 to reduce glare and increase clarity for airplane pilots,” said Smith.
Demonstrating patience, Smith purchased and stockpiled product until she had enough inventory to start her business. Smith began by selling her products at outdoor boat shows, promoting the benefits of polarized lenses to boat operators, who may suffer from glare when the sun is reflected off of the water.
Staffed with two employees, East Coast Shades carries all the top polarized lensed sunglasses brands and has expanded to include SPF apparel brand Local™. Smith says the boutique will soon carry the brand Costa™ as well.
Smith attributes the success of East Coast Shades to customer awareness and marketing. She uses social media to increase awareness of eye health and the benefits of polarized lenses, driving traffic to her boutique.
“I feel social media is the best way to get the word out,” says Smith. “Every day I’m working on becoming more knowledgeable in social media.”
Eventually, Smith would like to open a second East Coast Shades location elsewhere, making it a sunglasses chain unlike any other in Brevard County.
For more information on East Coast Shades, visit their Facebook page
here.