GIANT EAGLE BRINGS OPTICAL IN-STORE

WENDY TOTH

PITTSBURGH - Giant Eagle got deeper into the eye care business with the recent opening of its first in-store Giant Eagle Optical vision care center.

Certified optometrists run the center and offer comprehensive medical vision care on a walk-in basis.

"Being able to add a high-quality, walk-in optical center to our already-robust lineup of convenience-oriented services and departments gets us closer to our customer-service goals," said Giant Eagle spokesman Dan Donovan.

This is Giant Eagle's second optical center operated in partnership with specialty eyeglass retailer Eyetique, also in Pittsburgh. The first opened as a Visura Eyecare stand-alone store near the chain's McIntyre Square supermarket in McCandless Township, Pa., in the fall of 2004. The operation was renamed Giant Eagle Optical at the end of last year.

"Our goal is to help our customers manage their busy lives by providing convenient solutions to perform multiple everyday errands under one roof," Donovan said.

Giant Eagle Optical will deliver complete services to help patients identify and manage serious optical conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy regardless of the medical condition of a patient's eye, the company said.

Customers will be able to apply money spent at Giant Eagle Optical to the chain's fuelperks! reward program, which offers a 10-cent discount on each gallon of gas purchased at the chain's GetGo gas stations for every $50 spent with the chain's advantage card.

"We are continually looking for ways to expand our popular fuelperks! program and increase the number of ways our customers can save money as a reward for their loyal shopping," Donovan said.

In addition, to help customers select suitable frames - 1,500 styles are carried in 40 brand-name collections and several private-label lines - the vision center features the iCam viewing system from VisCorp, Sewickley, Pa.

The iCam technology uses software and digital photography to help customers who have trouble seeing clearly when trying on new frames. Customers can view a digital snapshot of their face in a variety of frames and style options, such as tinting.

The Giant Eagle Optical store-within-a-store is located between the greeting card and deli departments.

Brand-name frames include collections by Ralph Lauren, Fendi, SpongeBob SquarePants and Disney Princess for kids while Giant Eagle Optical private-label collections include Coastline sunglasses, Razzel for kids, Shout for trendy fashion, Madison and Courtney Taylor for classic styles and Gravity for sporty looks.