The Independent Optical Playbook
Resources for the people running independent optical in Canada.
Practical, Canadian-context guidance — the dispensing scripts, the insurance playbooks, the merchandising math, the regulatory cheat sheets, and the original industry data nobody else publishes.
Published by Peaks Optical Solutions · Newmarket, Ontario · Reviewed by licensed Canadian opticians.
Start where you are
For 01
Store Owners & Operators
Running the business, hiring, finances, inventory, marketing your local market.
For 02
Opticians & Dispensing Staff
Fitting, scripts, materials, frame styling, CE-eligible learning.
For 03
Future Optical Entrepreneurs
Opening your first practice, provincial licensing, financing decisions.
Six pillars
01
Run Your Practice
Insurance billing, hiring, financing, POS, daily operations. The administrative spine of an independent optical.
5 guides + interview · Q1–Q3 2026
02
Sell More Frames
Dispensing scripts, second-pair capture, upsell to AR and blue-light, counter conversations that respect the patient.
3 guides · Q1–Q2 2026
03
Merchandising & Inventory
Frame board curation, turn-rate benchmarks, par levels, seasonal calendars, planograms for 8 linear feet.
3 guides + 2 calculators
04
Style & Trends
Frame material buyer’s guides, shape-to-face matrices, Canadian seasonal forecasts, dispensing tips behind the trends.
2 guides · more Q2–Q3
05
Canadian Regulatory Hub
Provincial colleges, NIHB, OHIP, RAMQ, Bill 36, dispensing law — the canonical Canadian answers.
5 guides · The moat
06
Marketing Your Independent
Local SEO, Google Business Profile, Instagram for opticals, insurer-network listings, partnerships that drive foot traffic.
Interview live · more Q2–Q3
Three flagship resources
Annual Research · Q2 2026
The State of Independent Optical in Canada
Original-research report. Peaks’ own order data plus a national independent-owner survey.
See the Pulse Report →Gated PDF · Q3 2026
The Operator’s Handbook
An 80-page guide to running a Canadian independent optical. Free for approved trade accounts.
Get the Handbook →CE-eligible · From Q1
Peaks Academy
Free micro-courses on frame styling, dispensing, and merchandising — pursuing CE accreditation with the OAC.
Enter the Academy →From the bench
A board that finally turns. Curated, refreshed, no minimums.
Quality patients can feel. Proper acetate and titanium at $29 flat.
Built for the counter. Dispensing tools and trade pricing for independents.
Through the Lens · The Journal
Essays on the craft of optical.
Frame history, Canadian eyewear heritage, and the people behind independent practices. The slower-paced reading next to all the playbooks.
Read the Journal →
