Screen- and lens-cleaning solutions beyond the usual microfiber cloth and shirt sleeve have taken on a particular significance in the past pandemic-saturated 12 months. They’re a no-brainer accessory for anyone who buys or already owns smart and standard eyeglasses, goggles, VR headsets, smartphones, tablets, IoT devices, and computers. It’s an ever-growing list of products that require clean, clear, and COVID-free screens. And as anyone who wears face masks and eyeglasses can attest, lenses frequently fog up. This week saw not only some new products and increased availability in the lens and surface cleaning sector, but also a Dealerscope Insider Talk devoted to the topic.
Even pre-pandemic, the 170-year-old German optics and optoelectronics pioneer ZEISS experienced double-digit growth year-over-year in sales of its cleaning accessories, which are practical, disposable, and the very antithesis of the company’s high-performance optical innovation and products in the imaging, vision, and medical arenas. Its line of mobile screen wipes and lens cleaning kits are available everywhere from Walmart and Walgreen’s to Sam’s Club and Amazon, making ZEISS a household name in the U.S., even to those who have never owned a pair of premium binoculars or a DSLR camera.
This week, the company launched its new ZEISS AntiFOG Wipes, which are individually wrapped, single-use versions of its microfiber-cloth and bottled-liquid Zeiss FOG Defender System. Inside each wrapper is a disposable and biodegradable micro-fine tissue dipped in an anti-fog solution that keeps lenses mist-free for up to 24 hours. They’re perfect accessories not only standard glasses and ski goggles, but also for any Bluetooth-enabled audio and AR eyewear that’s worn outdoors or in public.
Screen wipes and lens cleaners are clearly mass-market. This may be one of the reasons why, in related news, wholesale consumer electronics distributor Petra Industries this week announced a partnership with WHOOSH!, which makes a popular and sleekly-packaged line of gadget screen cleaning kits and products. Interested resellers can go to Petra’s site for Pocket Screen Shine, Screen Shine Duo, and other WHOOSH! products
For more discussion on why cleaning products are the new must-carry retail accessory for consumer electronics resellers, watch our latest Insider Talk, available to stream on Dealerscope‘s Facebook page, featuring guests Pamela Andrews and Ruben Tellez of ZEISS Vision Care.
