For the millions of Americans who wear glasses, keeping them clean is an exercise in frustration, as most folks usually just breathe on them and wipe them down with whatever piece of cloth happens to be handy. Kim Smith, CEO and founder of Smitty’s Glass Wax, found a better way while cleaning his boat. “I got some wax on my glasses, and after I wiped them off the glasses were remarkably cleaner,” he recalls. “I worked as a roofing contractor and was always sweating on my glasses. Then with the wax coating on them, the glasses cleaned right up,” Smith says.
Believing he’d hit on something big, Smith worked on a special formula for the product for about six months, and finally tested it at a street fair. “We sold about 6,000 bottles at that fair,” he says. “We were on our way.” Smitty’s Glass Wax has three separate components that combine to give eyeglasses a dirt free finish. “First it’s a plastic cleaner that removes the oil and contaminants off the lens, so lenses are a lot clearer right off the bat,” Smith says. “It’s also a polish that makes the lenses feel real slick, so dirt doesn’t stick to them. Finally, the wax in the product makes them easy to clean later, and the microscopic film from the wax makes the glasses more smudge resistant,” he concludes. Smith has also hit on a surefire way to get customers to buy the product. “We let them try it,” he says. “We offer retailers a ‘Try it Free’ demo kit cleaning station, where passersby are invited to step up and try the product on their own glasses. Once they do, we have an 85 percent close rate on sales,” he notes. The demo kit, at 8” deep, 14” wide and about 15” high, is an eye catching display with the products attached to a lanyard, so no one walks off with them. The company must be doing something right, as it went to several different fairs and venues last year and sold an additional 38,000 units.
Smitty’s Glass Wax wholesales for $4.50 per package, which includes the wax cleaner, two micro fiber cleaning cloths, and a carry-it-with-you cleaning bag. The MSRP is $9.83. If retailers buy a minimum of three cases, the wholesale price drops down to $3.60 per unit. Free shipping and a free cleaning station are included at that price, and for storeowners requesting additional signage or POP displays, Smith will make them available at cost. “Right now we’re targeting kiosk and cart owners, as well as drug stores, truck stops, gift shops and numerous other retail outlets,” he says. The company is also working on extending the line, planning to roll out a small aerosol can to clean computer screens, and an aerosol kitchen and bath cleaner that lays down a protective film so dirt doesn’t stick. “We expect to have a big year,” Smith says. “Smitty’s Glass Wax sells like hotcakes.”
For more information:
Smitty’s Glass Wax
1308 East Colorado Blvd., Suite B
Pasadena, CA 91106
Toll Free: 800-588-4799
Website: smittysglasswax.com