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EXPERI E N T I AL . T A N G I B LE . I N TI MA TE : UPTOWN’S INSIGHT EYE CARE BY CHRIS TIESSEN
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'So much of what people buy – and how they buy it – is determined by what they see on
WATERLOO
down to chat over coffee at Death Valley’s
their screens,’ Neil Moser begins as we sit Little Brother in Uptown Waterloo. ‘Shopping online is convenient, to be sure,’ he goes on. ‘But when you’re investing in something that isn’t disposable, something handcrafted, online can be cold. Detached. Irreverent, even.’ Running his hand along a deep crease on the worn leather armrest of the chair he’s settled into, Neil speaks with conviction: ‘What I’m working toward every day is encouraging folks around these parts (and beyond) to make the effort to visit the shop in person. Not because they have to, but because they want to. And, in return, we’ll make the best
effort to curate what, in our minds, are the most gorgeous boutique and handcrafted frames and sunglasses the world over. And,’ he adds, ‘present them in a way that’s purely experiential. Tangible. Intimate.’ The business he’s talking about? Insight Eye Care in Waterloo – where Neil is Director of Marketing and Sales. A boutique eyewear and optometry practice that has successfully worked to differentiate itself – not only in its own industry, but in the business community in general. ‘We do a lot to set ourselves apart,’ Neil tells me. ‘From the intense curation of our product lines to our collaborative marketing campaigns (where we work with and highlight like-minded Kitchener-Waterloo businesses), we’re constantly doing things to attract new customers – and keep our existing clientele intrigued.’
