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UK’s Specsavers to open first Finnish outlets in July
28/06/2007
Savings of at least 25 per cent on glasses are promised.
According to an article published in the Kauppalehti newspaper on 25th June, Specsavers, a UK-based chain of optical retailers, will open its first outlets in Finland in July in the cities of Vaasa and Kokkola. According to Kauppalehti, Specsavers has made an agreement with Coronaria Oy, owners of the Optigo chain, and the majority of Optigo’s 26 current outlets will become part of Specsavers. Kauppalehti also said that Specsavers’ target is to establish a total of 80 outlets in Finland over the next four years.
Commenting on the move, Kauppalehti said that the Specsavers brand promise is cheaper glasses, and that cost reductions totalling at least 25 per cent are expected. Quoting market research carried out by TNS Gallup, Kauppalehti said that Finnish spending on this type of purchase (said to average EUR 410 in a year) is higher than among other Europeans.
Founded in 1984 by Doug and Mary Perkins, Specsavers now has 745 stores and more than 700 joint venture partners in the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. In 2006, the Specsavers group reported record turnover of GBP 879 million (approximately EUR 1,300 million) across all markets. According to Specsavers, it is market leader in the UK, the largest retail provider of home delivery contact lenses in Europe, and the Specsavers group employs more than 12,000 people.
Further information: http://www.specsavers.co.uk
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