About Specsavers
Specsavers is the largest privately owned opticians in the world and the market leader in the UK. One in three people who wear glasses in the UK buy them from Specsavers. Run by husband and wife founders Doug and Dame Mary Perkins, Specsavers is also a success abroad, where it has more than 1000 stores in Europe, and a rapidly expanding group of 100 in Australia.
The company has grown rapidly since, thriving with its joint venture partnership approach to eyecare. It hit the milestone of 100 stores in July 1988, 200 in 1993, 300 in 1995, 400 in 2000, 500 in 2003, 600 in 2004 and 700 in 2005. The first Netherlands store opened in 1997, the first Swedish in 2004, and 2005 saw the first in Denmark and Norway. In 2006 the first store was opened in Spain and in 2007 the company began supplying in Australia and opened the first store in Finland. In January 2008 Dame Mary Perkins opened the 1000th store in Roosendaal, Holland followed by the launch on the first three Specsavers stores in Australia in March.
For the past seven years it has been voted Britain's most-trusted brand of opticians by Reader's Digest. The current strap-lines, 'Number One Choice For Eye Tests' and 'Number One Choice For Contact Lenses' reflect its position as market leader. Specsavers range includes Tommy Hilfiger, Red or Dead, fcuk, Bench, Quiksilver, Roxy, Jasper Conran and Missoni as well as our very own market leading Osiris designer brand. Their frames are developed using the latest innovative manufacturing and design techniques from the highest quality components and raw materials available. The full range of over 2,000 size and colour options is structured around a comprehensive features and benefits pricing structure starting from £25 through to £169. Their own lens manufacturing laboratories - three of the largest in Europe, supply the latest high-tech lenses in volume at the lowest possible cost.
Specsavers is also the retail market leader in contact lenses, with it's own brand of easyvision monthly and daily disposable lenses and has also driven the use of continuous-wear lenses. Furthermore, Specsavers is the largest provider of home-delivery contact lenses in Europe through its Lensmail service. The business has ambitious plans to double both its current number of stores and turnover within the next 3 years as it expands its presence in its existing and new geographies. Growth will be achieved through both expansion of the core optical business and the newer hear care business.
There are now more than 500 employees based at Specsavers' headquarters in Guernsey. Specsavers' rapid growth plans will demand expansion of the finance function, and it is planned to establish a new Finance Shared Service Centre in Nottingham to support this growth.
