Vivid Optical is a cool shop. They have quality stuff. Vivid has been located in Downtown Stouffville since 2009; they are coming up on a 10-year anniversary.
Co-owner Del Kuypers is young, smart, and has good intuition. Del has 5 or 6 pairs of glasses himself, yet on photoshoot day – we made him remove his contacts for a more appropriate ‘attire’.
Del grew up in Bobcaygeon, but as many of the local youth, he became bored with age. He left for optician school in Barrie and never returned. At school, he met Goolam Begg, whose family is from South Africa and he was raised in Scarborough. They became fast friends and decided to open a business together.
Like many start-ups, studying the business-opportunity landscape of the GTA led them to Stouffville, a fast-growing community that was “on the radar”.
Goolam and Del picked a Downtown Stouffville location. “There were only three other optical shops back then,” said Del, “but now there are eight.” Despite the growth of the industry in Stouffville, Del and Goolam remain happy with their location and business growth. While we were visiting, several customers came and went, picking up new frames, and the phone kept ringing. Business did look positive.
Vivid Optical carries designer eyewear with name brands that one would expect from an up-to-date shop, such as Ray Ban, Oakley, Carrera, Guess, Juicy Couture, Gucci and LaCoste. They also carry contact lenses, arrange for licensed Optometrist partners to offer full eye exams – with appointments available some evenings and weekends – and offer benefits billing.
EDITOR’S TIP:
In my first month working for the Town, I was in the Downtown area when I stumbled across Vivid Optical. My glasses were worn out and I had recently left my prescription sunglasses in a rental car in DC. Del bandaged my glasses, so well in fact, that I didn’t come back for 2 months.
When I did return, Goolam and Del both helped me pick some respectable replacement frames – something I rarely leave to the advice of other men. They did well – I love my glasses. I look forward to the next exchange later this year.