Vision Express - Business Structure

Business Structure

Stores are divided into four types: Optical Lab, Superstores, Franchises (owned entirely by the proprietor but under licence to use the Vision Express name and with some access to Grand Vision services) and joint venture partnerships (owned on a 50:50 basis by a manager/proprietor and the Vision Express subsidiary, Abbeyfield V.E. Ltd, and with setup costs subsidised by Vision Express).

The first two types of store provide a one hour service using both semi-finished lenses (prescription being cut from scratch) and stock lenses. The JV stores tend to provide an overnight service also, with some exceptions. A new One Hour On Demand service has recently been introduced to the company, whereby if a customer would like their spectacles back within the hour they pay a £5 express charge, otherwise the job will be ready the next day. This has been brought in to effect to stagger the amount of jobs any one lab would be expected to carry out at one time.

The headquarters of the Vision Express Group and subsidiaries in the UK is at Lenton, Nottingham.