Why Are Sclera Lenses So Expensive?
This is a totally fair and understandable question and we understand that it sucks it has to be that way, but the profit margins are actually roughly in line with normal contact lenses. Here at ScleraContacts.com we pledge to meet market demand and keep our designs as at low cost as possible to supply as many customers as we can. Any time we have excess stock we give away coupons, slash prices or give designs away so keep checking back.
But we often get asked... When normal coloured contact lenses are often under $15, why is it that sclera coloured contacts can easily set you back over $50?
The reasons are simple... the market is far smaller, the materials are more expensive and the machinery and the manufacturing process is far slower, plates used for the manufacting process are much more expensive and need to be replaced far more often.
The Market is Smaller
This is a simple case of supply and demand... For every 1 pair of sclera contacts that are sold, over 100,000 pairs of normal (including prescription) contacts are sold!
The Materials are More Expensive
This may sound strange as they're both soft polymer oxygen permiable material, but sclera contacts have to be made of a slightly thicker and stronger sheet polymer which is not as easy to acquire. It also means it is harder to work with and the machinery needs to be adjusted to work with it properly and safely, otherwise they could turn inside out in the eye or even tear while in the eye. They have to be soft and they are more than 80% water!
The Manufacturing Process is Slower and More Costly
Because the material is thicker and the demand for the machines is lower and so more expensive to acquire, but coloured contact lens sales are also very seasonal which significantly impacts speed of manufacture against returns. More than 50% of yearly sales occur in the moth of October in preparation for Halloween and so in order to pay a consistent wage to the people working in the sterile factories all year, the prices have to be higher to reflect that the expensive machinery when the pressure is not as significant the rest of the year.
How we Plan to Help
We do our best to keep prices low and decrease them for sales and when the cost of manufacture decrease, but as we strive to be the best quality and the lowest price... And here's how...
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Reduce costs in line with reduced manufacturing costs
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Excess stock sales
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Marketing giveaways
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Deals (e.g. buy 2 get 1 free)
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Free pairs for reviews and backlinks to website etc.
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Free pairs for select social influencers
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Reduced prices for bulk purchasers (10+ pairs)