“One of our guiding principles is ‘No more tears over dry eyes’”

How did Peep Club come about?

This isn’t my first career. I did a degree in economics and government at the London School of Economics and then worked in banking and technology companies. My dad is an optometrist, and he's my absolute hero. There was a moment where I was feeling a bit burnt out from tech. I was having my eyes tested by him and I looked around his testing room and because he's been in practice for a very long time, he has hundreds of thank you notes all over his room – every surface is covered. I thought: what a wonderful job, to be able to help people. I decided to change careers and went back to university to study optometry at City, University of London.

One of my practice patients was my lifelong friend, now partner in the business, Natasha. She was complaining of dry eyes and was worried that one day she would have to quit the job she loves as a brand strategist because she found that her eyes were so tired and dry at the end of the day. I knew that so many people experienced dry eye that I would have more patients ask me about this in the future. I suggested: ‘Why don’t we try out every dry eye product on the market? You take it as finding your ultimate solution, and I use it as a learning experience.’

We played around for a few months to see what was available. Natasha found that she had a graveyard-drawer of products that she had used for a few days or weeks, but ended up not continuing because she didn’t like keeping them out on the counter and forgot about them.

As a brand strategist, she thought that if we could create a beautiful brand, we could have a whole new audience of people like her. I knew there was so much room for us to make a mark, and that we could do a lot on the sustainability and ingredients side. That is how Peep Club came about. Natasha came up with a beautiful statement, which we’ve trademarked, which is: ‘To be a treat, not just a treatment.’ That is our guiding mission – everything we do should make patients feel good and make them proud to be using the product.

My dad is an optometrist, and he's my absolute hero

What is the latest product that you have released and why does it stand out from the crowd?

Our latest launch is the Eye Rescue Lidstick, a balm for your eyelids. People who have very dry or sensitive eyes experience watery eyes and tend to get cracked and chapped skin and inflamed lids. It becomes a cycle they can't get out of, because many creams designed to treat it have preservatives and fragrances that can irritate the skin.

We made the Lidstick because it’s beneficial for dose control as you only use a tiny amount at a time, but it also has no preservatives, alcohol, or fragrances. It has ceramides to rebuild the skin, evening primrose oil and borage oil to soothe, and it also has a bit of an occlusive benefit for allergy season.

What can you tell us about the research behind the products?

Every month there's new research, so we're constantly looking at what's out there and reformulating. I think one of the beautiful things about how we operate is that we are a small batch manufacturer. That gives us a huge amount of agility.

A perfect example is we have a Cleansing Lash Foam. Customers love that, but since it came out there has been new research on better ingredients, so we're reformulating it and we're going to launch that very soon. Small batch manufacturing allows that flexibility, and we can also be a lot fresher with our products as a result.

The main thing is being humble enough to acknowledge that it is a moving target. The best thing we can do is adapt and I think our customers really appreciate that we're keeping up with the times. We’re not going to be still peddling the same lash foam in 10 years’ time, knowing full well that research has indicated better ingredients exist on the market.

We look a lot at the high-level research. That has been one of the wonderful things about my experience in optometry and statistics: I can understand the data and the evidence. We also have an amazing set of advisers, oculoplastic surgeons, ophthalmologists, and dermatologists, with a wealth of experience who constantly inform our development.

Peep Club is sold by Positive Impact, which we love, to independent optometrists. The optometrists who have dry eye clinics know so much about the market – they go to the trade shows and have the top in-practice treatments – they are asking us questions. Being able to take that all on board is one of our major assets.

We have an amazing set of advisors, oculoplastic surgeons, ophthalmologists, and dermatologists, with a wealth of experience who constantly inform our development

What are the main ambitions of Peep Club in the short and long-term?

I just want to have happy patients and customers. One of our guiding principles is ‘No more tears over dry eyes.’ We receive the most heart-wrenching customer emails. People who tell us they can’t wear make up to their daughter’s wedding because their eyes are streaming so much. People whose dry eye symptoms mean they receive comments on the street or at work asking if they are crying. People who can’t read books anymore because their eyes are so irritable. We read all the emails personally. It makes you want to work so hard to get hold of this problem that is so prevalent, and so solvable.

As a business, we love supporting independent practices. I would love to be part of keeping independent practices vibrant and relevant on the High Street and making them a destination. Independent practices offer so much more than people give them credit for.

It’s not just a case of buying a Peep Club product. We tell our customers to speak to their optometrist, because only the eye care professional will tell you if our product is the right one for them. The optometrist can also advise them if there are other products better suited for their needs.

I would love to be part of keeping independent practices vibrant and relevant on the High Street and making them a destination

What decisions went into the Peep Club branding?

The principle behind our branding is: if you saw the product, would it make you feel good? If the product gives you that little endorphin hit and you look forward to it, then you are more likely to remember to use it. We also look at developing products that are easily incorporated into people’s routines without asking too much of them. Then, they don’t have to take a huge leap of faith on us, but we still help them towards having better hydrated, happier eyes.

Are there any new projects in development that customers should be aware of?

Our new Cleansing Lash Foam is really exciting. We’re also excited to have launched in LA Beaumarchais in Paris at the start of May. It was a big deal for us because they are an incredibly prestigious retailer. We are also launching in some of the Fairmont Hotel spas – it is cool that they are interested in eye care.

What is Peep Club’s approach to sustainability?

It is so important and really tricky. I think customers are getting savvy to spotting if something is greenwashing. At the end of the day, the greenest thing you can do is not buy a product, but other than that it means making what you can recyclable – and some parts you just can’t.

For us, it is about being transparent. We disclose what can and can’t be recycled, and then a customer can make their own decision about if that is sustainable enough for them. One of the biggest problems with the cosmetic industry is overproduction. The greenest move we’ve made is small batch manufacturing so that we are never stuck with stock that can’t be sold and then has to go into landfill.

Beyond the brand

As an optometrist – how do you view the issue of dry eye currently in the UK?

I think the UK is catching up quickly with how important dry eye is. We’re seeing many optometrists adding specific services to their practice – getting in specialists, training, bringing in amazing in-practice treatments. I know that is expensive, but I think people are making that investment because of how important it is.

From the perspective of an optometrist, the tricky thing with sight tests is that a patient doesn’t have a reason to come and see you more than every few years. What is the reason someone is going to come in more often and have another opportunity to build a relationship with the practice? Dry eye is perfect for that. Especially if it has reached the point where the optometrist sees it, the dry eye is probably quite chronic and needs a multi-pronged approach, most likely with something in practice or under the supervision of the optometrist.

Optometrists are noticing that the opportunity is there. It’s nice to see the industry diversifying a bit in the approaches being taken. There are spa-style approaches and others going down the very clinical approach.

What do you think providers such as Peep Club can offer to optometry practices?

Peep Club products slot into a routine, so an optometrist can put together a personalised plan for that patient. Having understood their history and completed the suite of tests, they can talk to the patient about the eye drops they might need, or a hot compress or treatment, and they can also ask about their cleansing routine, for example, and the Peep Club Cleaning Lash Foam.

Having a range of products and being able to tailor these to the patient goes a long way. It's exactly what we are taught about dispensing: a successful dispense is about getting to know that person’s lifestyles. In the same way: if a patient meditates for 20 minutes a day, then maybe a compress is ideal for them. If they are a parent with three children and a job in the City, the Peep Club Heated Eye Wand Pro may be better suited.

Peep Club products slot into a routine, so an optometrist can put together a personalised plan for that patient

What are some of the external or market challenges facing the sector?

Supply chains are a weak spot in the UK currently. As much as we want to trade, we do have one hand tied behind our back because of the political climate, making it quite difficult. Shipping is really tricky. I think it’s potentially good news for optometrists because customers may want to buy from bricks and mortar practices more because of how expensive shipping is. It’s a very good reason for us to be working with optometrists.

I’m optimistic, but it is a tough period economically. I think we’ll come out of it stronger, but we do know companies who were peers of ours and launched at the same time, but have gone out of business. People are feeling the pinch.

Do you see consumer behaviours shifting due to cost-of-living concerns?

The consumer behaviours that indicate to me that people are feeling the pinch is that you can see them shopping around for a discount code and being very thoughtful about a purchase. There is not going to be a spur of the moment big purchase like there might have been in the past.

We are really strict with our prices. We don’t put our products on sale, which is quite unusual. We have had opportunities to sell in big pharmacies and we haven't because of their approach to discounting. What we can do to support our optometry practices is never undercut them on price.

What are the biggest opportunities that you see currently?

There are so many people our products could help. I think there is a huge opportunity and it’s an exciting space to be a part of. We’re working intensively on product development and should have some things coming down the pipeline, which I think will open up the market for us.

If I’m being honest, there are no shortcuts. It’s slowly and steadily surprising and delighting customers to build a relationship and trust with them. A lot of the focus should be on retaining customers. My background in tech working in customer experience with huge companies has taught me so much about how you earn loyalty. Consumers can afford to be picky, so you really do have to earn loyalty.