Beating Costco Optical on Value (Not Price): The Canadian Independent's Differentiation Playbook
Sell More Frames · Playbook · 18 min read
Beating Costco Optical on Value (Not Price): The Canadian Independent’s Differentiation Playbook
Costco Optical undercuts the independent median by roughly 25% on like-for-like dispenses. Independents can’t match the price floor — and they don’t need to. This playbook covers the positioning, signage, scripts, and service moves that win on value.
Status Full version publishing Q2 2026.
What this playbook covers
- Where Costco actually wins (and where they don’t)
- The structural advantages independents have
- Signage that anchors value without bashing the competition
- The 3-line counter script for “but Costco is cheaper”
- Service moves that build loyalty Costco can’t replicate
- When to actually refer to Costco (and why doing so builds trust)
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