News

Small Business Spotlight: Moulton’s Spectacle Shoppe

Sarah Weiler, Arts Editor|February 3, 2017

Welcome to Small Business Spotlight, TLG’s home for celebrating the marvelous small businesses in Bennington, VT, who give back to the community and foster a stronger local economy. These businesses are chosen for their unique services, fair prices, noteworthy charity, and their commitment to nurturing a healthier Bennington. This week in the spotlight: Moulton’s Spectacle Shoppe.

Many already know that Moulton’s Spectacle Shoppe is the best choice for furnishing your eyes. But if you haven’t heard of it yet, here’s why you would love it:

They’ve been around a long, long time:

As a third-generation family business, Moulton’s Spectacle Shoppe has the unique privilege of being trusted widely and exclusively by people who remember going into Moulton’s for their first pair of child’s frames and who are now bringing their own children in for fittings. The first Moulton’s store was started by the grandfather of the current owner, Bob Moulton Jr, in North Adams, Massachusetts 37 years ago. Coming to Bennington as a young man, Bob saw a building for sale and proposed that the business open up in Vermont — this was the beginning of the Moulton’s on Main Street, where the business was moved in 1979. Both in Vermont and Massachusetts, Moulton’s Spectacle Shoppe is family owned and operated and well known for its commitment to the local communities, and its wonderful service. The Moulton’s in Bennington is run by Bob, his wife Bonny, his sister, and his brother-in-law.

Bob remembers taking screws out of frames when he was just 5 years old. Like his father he learned the trade from experience, from being around it all the time, and helping out with the business before it was his. About the team at Moulton’s, Bob says, “We love what we do, and we know what we’re doing.” This is the kind of combination we pray for in a business, especially one catering to something as intimate as eye health.

These days Moulton’s is trusted even with infants, as eyewear technologies have improved to offer glasses for babies. Before I came in the Shoppe, Bob had just fitted an infant with a pair of these:

Babies now can have eye problems prevented for the future, he says, by getting a pair of infant glasses as early as possible. He has caught subtle eye issues himself simply by looking at an infant someone brings in the store. He says it’s a cool thing to watch generations grow come in the store, and to be trusted enough to remain with a family so long. The family at Moulton’s won’t file you out as fast as possible, or send you away with frames you don’t actually love just to make a sale. They’ll make you feel like a real person who matters, and whose happiness and health come first.

At Moulton’s Spectacle Shoppe you can have prescription lenses made or matched, sit down for consultations, shop for hearing aids or accessories, and if the eyewear you purchase from Moulton’s is ever broken or marred, you can bring it to back for free repairs and cleanings, anytime.

They carry all the good stuff:

If you’re looking for authentically good frames, the kind you can really wear on your face everyday without feeling like you’ve become a strange creature behind them, Moulton’s has you covered. They carry all the notable brands like Vera Bradley, Bollé, Nine West, Maui Jim, Elisabeth Arden, Youth Force, Banana Republic, and Dior — but they also have frames that are less mainstream and whose whimsical or surprising or exciting styles you just can’t find anywhere else. Here’s a look at what you can find at Moulton’s:

Sunglasses. Not only do they carry traditional shades, but also Liberty Sport Cocoons designed to be worn over prescription lenses, SunWraps to tint daylight, and they offer transition lenses for any frame:

Both men and women’s styles in abundance. And in all shapes. You won’t go looking for a frame that suits your face and find only one kind available — Moulton’s has an impressive variety. In addition to transition lenses, you can also purchase sports glasses, reading glasses, titanium frames, and frame with eco-friendly plating:

Cases. These include all of the brands listed above as well as others like Ed Hardy, in an assortment of colors and designs:

Hearing aids, contacts, shooting glasses, lens cleaners, and accessories. Not only do they cover your prescription lens needs, but they can also help you get situated with hearing aids and miscellaneous eyewear purposes, like for hunting, accessorizing, and maintenance:

There’s an entire clearance section:

Moulton’s Spectacle Shoppe is dedicated to quality, and also to your wallet. If you’re looking to save more money on your frames, you can find a full clearance section in Moulton’s with styles for men, women, and children. There is also a 50% off sunglasses wrack, and each year on the store’s anniversary, they have a 2 for 1 sale on frames. Add all of this up, and you’re saving huge on quality eyewear.