Optical Express
Encyclopedia
Optical Express is a retail
optical services
company in the United Kingdom. Optical Express is part of the Optical Express Group, which operates in the optical, dental and cosmetic industries. It is the forth largest high street
retail optician in the UK, which, combined, account for 55% of the optical goods market, of which Optical Express has a 6% share. The company provides eye tests, spectacles, contact lenses and laser eye surgery.
, Edinburgh
. The company grew steadily following its establishment. It acquired Remocker Shapiro in 1995, and took over the latter's 11 stores.
In January 1997, the group acquired Specialeyes Plc, including a UK-wide chain of 65 optical retail outlets, thus expanding into England for the first time.
In 1998, the Sunday Herald reported that Optical Express had 32 court judgements against it for failure to settle debts owed to a wide number of companies. A senior financial analyst at the time commented that it appeared to be a policy of Optical Express to pay debts late, however "since the company has been trading without interruption, most of these amounts must by now have been paid." An Optical Express spokesperson implied that the company's problems stemmed from the January 1997 takeover of Specialeyes, in which the accountants PriceWaterhouseCoopers
were claimed to have underestimated the true level of debt at Specialeyes that Optical Express had adopted. A PriceWaterhouseCoopers spokeperson denied this was the case.
Laser eye surgery in the UK is dominated by three main players—Optical Express, Ultralase
and Optimax
—which, in total, account for approximately 56% of clinics in the UK
In 2001, Optical Express acquired the Co-op Eyecare chain of 34 shops, followed by the purchase of Specdeals in 2002 with a further 14 Scottish stores.
In 2004 and early 2005, Optical Express acquired the dentistry and laser eye surgery services of Alliance Boots
. The dental services business trades under the name The Dental Clinic. , there are 14 locations advertised on the company website.
Optical Express moved into the international market with the acquisition of Free Vision Euro Eyes laser vision correction clinics in Amsterdam and The Hague. The deal marked the first large-scale UK optical chain to extend its laser vision correction business in Holland.
In 2007, Optical Express formed a partnership with Glasgow-based charity organisation, The Caring City. Donated spectacles are categorised, tested and distributed free of charge via local clinics returning sight to the most at risk communities within Burundi.
Since 2007 Optical Express has been engaged in a dispute with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about VAT. A figure of £10.9 million pounds was quoted as the disputed amount. An appeal to the original case dismissal is scheduled for September 2011.
In 2007, the Optical Express store at Cross Street in Manchester was given the largest ever fine for city centre fly tipping by Manchester City council after a large amount of rubbish was dumped behind the store. The company did not turn up to the court case, and was assessed a £25,000 fine. An Optical Express spokesperson said 'This is a ludicrous case. We were never served a summons so it's hardly surprising we weren't in court. Our lawyers are lodging an immediate appeal.'. A legal appeal overturned the decision and the fine was subsequently dropped.
In 2008, Optical Express announced a €10 million investment to increase its number of Irish operations to six creating up to 60 new jobs.
In August 2009, Optical Express revealed its working practices to its refractive surgery competitors in a supplement published in the July edition of the Journal of Refractive Surgery the first of its kind by a corporate provider.
In 2009, Optical Express, along with fellow laser eye surgery providers Optimax and Ultralase, were criticized by Which?, a consumer organisation, who investigated the consultations customers received prior to potential laser eye surgery. The main focus of concern was that laser councillors consistently downplayed the risks of surgery
In 2010, Optical Express invested US$12 million (£8.1 million) installing iFS Femtosecond laser technology in all its laser clinics.
In October 2010 Optical Express offered shared venture partnerships (SVP) for many of their retail outlets.
In January 2011 Optical Express opened its flagship Sports Vision clinic in Renfield Street, Glasgow City Centre.
In May 2011, the BBC Watchdog
programme ran a feature on Optical Express including hidden camera footage of laser eye surgery consultations in ten different Optical Express clinic locations. Although it is standard procedure adopted by laser eye clinics worldwide that the surgeon is seen on day of surgery, the programme was critical of Optical Express and particularly emphasised that in seven out of ten consultations, the prospective patient was not offered the opportunity to see the surgeon before the day of surgery, contrary to Royal College of Ophthalmologists standards. The expert witness that appeared on Watchdog, as well as being a consultant at the NHS Moorfields Eye Hospital, and the hospital's director of refractive surgery, is also employed by the hospital's private clinic. Optical Express responded to the allegations made in this programme on the programme website.
In 2011 the consumer magazine Which?
rated Optical Express as the worst performing optical chain after an undercover investigation into the quality of general high street eye examinations. An Optical Express spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the allegations without more information.
Jack Wilson McConnell is a non-executive director on the board of DCM Optical Holdings,Chairman and CEO David Moulsdale's Cumbernauld-based parent company.
In 2011, the Advertising Standards Authority upheld 23 out of 25 complaints made by Ultralase
about an Optical Express brochure and television advert featuring Pádraig Harrington
. This is the fourth judgement against Optical Express by the ASA since 2007.
In response to the ruling, Pádraig Harrington was reported to address the controversy.
The ASA dismissed Optical Express' appeal on this adjudication on 17 August 2011.
Optical Express created and ran a new advertisement featuring the voice of British actor Michael Gambon
, it replaced the Padraig Harrington advertisement.
In September 2011 Optical Express donated the use of their customer contact centre to support the STV Appeal to collect public donations in support of children in Scotland affected by poverty.
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
optical services
Optician
An optician is a person who is trained to fill prescriptions for eye correction in the field of medicine, also known as a dispensing optician or optician, dispensing...
company in the United Kingdom. Optical Express is part of the Optical Express Group, which operates in the optical, dental and cosmetic industries. It is the forth largest high street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
retail optician in the UK, which, combined, account for 55% of the optical goods market, of which Optical Express has a 6% share. The company provides eye tests, spectacles, contact lenses and laser eye surgery.
Foundations
Optical Express is part of the Optical Express Group, which aside from opticians, also operates in the optical, dental and cosmetic industries under the brand names The Cosmetic Clinic, The Dental Clinic and the Bridgewater Hospital. The group was founded in 1991 by David Moulsdale with one Optical Express branch based in LeithLeith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. The company grew steadily following its establishment. It acquired Remocker Shapiro in 1995, and took over the latter's 11 stores.
In January 1997, the group acquired Specialeyes Plc, including a UK-wide chain of 65 optical retail outlets, thus expanding into England for the first time.
In 1998, the Sunday Herald reported that Optical Express had 32 court judgements against it for failure to settle debts owed to a wide number of companies. A senior financial analyst at the time commented that it appeared to be a policy of Optical Express to pay debts late, however "since the company has been trading without interruption, most of these amounts must by now have been paid." An Optical Express spokesperson implied that the company's problems stemmed from the January 1997 takeover of Specialeyes, in which the accountants PriceWaterhouseCoopers
PwC
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
were claimed to have underestimated the true level of debt at Specialeyes that Optical Express had adopted. A PriceWaterhouseCoopers spokeperson denied this was the case.
Expansion
Optical Express has been growing its presence on the high street. Its spectacle ranges cover the mid-market. It has also expanded into other healthcare sectors including cosmetic treatments and dentistry.Laser eye surgery in the UK is dominated by three main players—Optical Express, Ultralase
Ultralase
Ultralase is a healthcare company based in the United Kingdom that specialises in vision correction through laser eye surgery.-Overview and history:...
and Optimax
Optimax
Shell V-Power is the brand name given to Royal Dutch Shell's - aka Shell - enhanced high specification fuels for road motor vehicles.Initially used for higher octane Super Unleaded petrol/gasoline, , it is now additionally used for high specification diesel fuel.-V-Power petrol:Petrol or gasoline...
—which, in total, account for approximately 56% of clinics in the UK
In 2001, Optical Express acquired the Co-op Eyecare chain of 34 shops, followed by the purchase of Specdeals in 2002 with a further 14 Scottish stores.
In 2004 and early 2005, Optical Express acquired the dentistry and laser eye surgery services of Alliance Boots
Alliance Boots
Alliance Boots GmbH is a leading international, pharmacy-led health and beauty group. It has two core business activities - pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing, and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution - and has a presence in more than 25 countries...
. The dental services business trades under the name The Dental Clinic. , there are 14 locations advertised on the company website.
Optical Express moved into the international market with the acquisition of Free Vision Euro Eyes laser vision correction clinics in Amsterdam and The Hague. The deal marked the first large-scale UK optical chain to extend its laser vision correction business in Holland.
Since 2007
Optical Express experienced a 48% growth in UK retail distribution of optical goods and eyecare in the period 2007 to 2009, the largest increase of all the four large UK opticians.In 2007, Optical Express formed a partnership with Glasgow-based charity organisation, The Caring City. Donated spectacles are categorised, tested and distributed free of charge via local clinics returning sight to the most at risk communities within Burundi.
Since 2007 Optical Express has been engaged in a dispute with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about VAT. A figure of £10.9 million pounds was quoted as the disputed amount. An appeal to the original case dismissal is scheduled for September 2011.
In 2007, the Optical Express store at Cross Street in Manchester was given the largest ever fine for city centre fly tipping by Manchester City council after a large amount of rubbish was dumped behind the store. The company did not turn up to the court case, and was assessed a £25,000 fine. An Optical Express spokesperson said 'This is a ludicrous case. We were never served a summons so it's hardly surprising we weren't in court. Our lawyers are lodging an immediate appeal.'. A legal appeal overturned the decision and the fine was subsequently dropped.
In 2008, Optical Express announced a €10 million investment to increase its number of Irish operations to six creating up to 60 new jobs.
In August 2009, Optical Express revealed its working practices to its refractive surgery competitors in a supplement published in the July edition of the Journal of Refractive Surgery the first of its kind by a corporate provider.
In 2009, Optical Express, along with fellow laser eye surgery providers Optimax and Ultralase, were criticized by Which?, a consumer organisation, who investigated the consultations customers received prior to potential laser eye surgery. The main focus of concern was that laser councillors consistently downplayed the risks of surgery
In 2010, Optical Express invested US$12 million (£8.1 million) installing iFS Femtosecond laser technology in all its laser clinics.
In October 2010 Optical Express offered shared venture partnerships (SVP) for many of their retail outlets.
In January 2011 Optical Express opened its flagship Sports Vision clinic in Renfield Street, Glasgow City Centre.
In May 2011, the BBC Watchdog
Watchdog (TV series)
Watchdog is a BBC television series that investigates viewers' reports of problematic experiences with traders, retailers, and other companies around the UK...
programme ran a feature on Optical Express including hidden camera footage of laser eye surgery consultations in ten different Optical Express clinic locations. Although it is standard procedure adopted by laser eye clinics worldwide that the surgeon is seen on day of surgery, the programme was critical of Optical Express and particularly emphasised that in seven out of ten consultations, the prospective patient was not offered the opportunity to see the surgeon before the day of surgery, contrary to Royal College of Ophthalmologists standards. The expert witness that appeared on Watchdog, as well as being a consultant at the NHS Moorfields Eye Hospital, and the hospital's director of refractive surgery, is also employed by the hospital's private clinic. Optical Express responded to the allegations made in this programme on the programme website.
In 2011 the consumer magazine Which?
Which?
Which? is a product-testing and consumer campaigning charity with a magazine, website and various other services run by Which? Ltd ....
rated Optical Express as the worst performing optical chain after an undercover investigation into the quality of general high street eye examinations. An Optical Express spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the allegations without more information.
Jack Wilson McConnell is a non-executive director on the board of DCM Optical Holdings,Chairman and CEO David Moulsdale's Cumbernauld-based parent company.
Advertisments
In 2007, the Advertising Standards Authority rejected a complaint that the claim "from only £395 per eye" featured in an Optical Express TV and leaflet campaign was misleading.In 2011, the Advertising Standards Authority upheld 23 out of 25 complaints made by Ultralase
Ultralase
Ultralase is a healthcare company based in the United Kingdom that specialises in vision correction through laser eye surgery.-Overview and history:...
about an Optical Express brochure and television advert featuring Pádraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington
Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
. This is the fourth judgement against Optical Express by the ASA since 2007.
In response to the ruling, Pádraig Harrington was reported to address the controversy.
The ASA dismissed Optical Express' appeal on this adjudication on 17 August 2011.
Optical Express created and ran a new advertisement featuring the voice of British actor Michael Gambon
Michael Gambon
Sir Michael John Gambon, CBE is an Irish actor who has worked in theatre, television and film. A highly respected theatre actor, Gambon is recognised for his roles as Philip Marlowe in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective, as Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret, and as...
, it replaced the Padraig Harrington advertisement.
Charity
In January 2011 Optical Express donated an Oculus Pentacam (worth £45,000) to optometry and dispensing optician students in Glasgow Caledonian University, which was the first of it's kind in Scotland and allows students to use the technology as part of their optometry degree.In September 2011 Optical Express donated the use of their customer contact centre to support the STV Appeal to collect public donations in support of children in Scotland affected by poverty.