Vision Express is one of the three major operators which dominate 60% of the British retail market for spectacles and contact lenses. Vision Express branded stores in total command over 11% of this current market. The other two major operators are Specsavers and Boots Opticians (which in 2010 bought the fourth largest operator, Dollond & Aitchison).
The company opened its first store in 1988 at the MetroCentre, Gateshead, quickly followed by a number of other stores. In October 1993 US Shoe Corp Cincinnati sold the seven of its LensCrafters' superstores in the UK to Vision Express. In 1995 the first store operating on a joint venture basis was opened.
The company had grown to over 220 stores across the UK by 2007. In May 2008 Batemans Opticians was acquired which comprised a 75 store chain in the south of England. The majority of these stores have since been rebranded as Vision Express.
There are now over 330 stores throughout the UK, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland. Of these stores approx. 195 are fully company-owned with the remainder being under joint Venture partnerships.
Vision Express is also in Poland, where it has over 110 stores.
Read more about Vision Express: Business Structure, Takeover By Grand Vision, Additional Services, Controversy
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