Specsavers Optical Group Ltd is the biggest optical retailer in the UK and Ireland. It is also the biggest of the four major opticians and now has more than 40% of the UK market.^[1] The company has over 1,390 stores in the United Kingdom, Guernsey, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand.

History and market position[link]

A branch of Specsavers in the Horsefair Centre in Wetherby, West Yorkshire.

Specsavers are a high street opticians, selling spectacles, contact lenses and hearing aids. The group was launched in 1984 by husband and wife team Doug Perkins and Mary Perkins and at the end of 2007 the group had over 1,390 stores with 26,000 employees. As well as stores in the UK, they are present in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Spain and most recently Australia and New Zealand. The company has ventured into hearing services in 2002. Their Hearing Centres division provides hearing tests and hearing aids within the Specsavers optical stores and has grown to become the UK's leading provider of digital hearing aids providing services from more than 400 locations.^[2]

Specsavers also sell designer optical collections by Jasper Conran,^[3] French Connection and Red or Dead.

Specsavers' main competitors in the UK are Boots Opticians and Vision Express; see UK Opticians (retailers).

The co-founder of Specsavers, Mary Perkins, was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2007 in recognition of her services to business and the community in Guernsey.

In 2004, Specsavers acquired Swedish Blic Optik franchise from its owner Optimum Optik AB, taking a position in the Nordic market.^[4][5]

In 2007 Finance Director John Perkins became Joint Managing Director with his father Doug Perkins.

In The Sunday Times Rich List 2011, published in the UK on May 8, 2011, Douglas and Dame Mary Perkins and family were ranked 56= in the list of Britain's wealthiest people. Their personal worth was estimated at £1,150m with Dame Mary becoming Britain's first self-made female billionaire.^[6]

Advertisements[link]

In 2005 Specsavers won the Retail Week 2005 award for Marketing Campaign of the Year.^[7]

In 2006 Specsavers was ranked 46 of the UK's 100 heaviest spenders on TV advertising, spending £27 million.^[8] Readers Digest magazine voted Specsavers the most trusted brand of opticians for the 5th year running.^[9] The magazine surveyed people in 40 European countries.

In 2009, the retailer was voted most trusted optician for the 8th year running by Reader's Digest.

Specsavers long-running and successful advertising campaign is famously based on the strapline "Should've gone to Specsavers" which appears on the company's TV advertising, usually after showing an accident in which someone failed to notice something. Conceived by Specsavers Creative Director Graham Daldry, the line has become part of popular culture and is frequently quoted.^[10]

Specsavers' use of Édith Piaf in advertisements has caused some adverse comment in the press in spite of the fact that full permission had been granted by the estate of the performer. A Facebook group has been set up to oppose this supposed abuse of the famous French singer.^[11] The song ended with the subtitles saying "Yes, I Should've gone to Specsavers" followed by the logo showing in Black & White Television.

Specsavers had advertised a couple having their lunch on a rollercoaster in Blackpool opening their lunchboxes. When they started eating their sandwiches the rollercoaster started and the ride got too fast before "Should've gone to Specsavers" appeared.

Specsavers used the Thunderbirds character Virgil Tracy, his craft Thunderbird 2, and the villain known as The Hood made to set in a 1966 episode. Virgil is chased by The Hood in a tunnel after Thunderbird 2 landed, and as they emerge from the tunnel into the sunlight Virgil's glasses magically darken and steers round a mountain and when The Hood emerges into the sunlight he gets blinded and dazzled by the sunlight and crashes into the mountain. The ad closes with Jeff Tracy saying to Virgil via radio "He Should've gone to Specsavers, Virgil", with Virgil replying "F.A.B."

Specsavers have recently used the Postman Pat 1984 episode. In that advert, Pat accidentally breaks his glasses and has not got a spare pair. Deciding to get on with his job anyway, he accidentally causes trouble through Greendale and takes some sacks of vegetables rather than the mail, posts them through the Reverend's door and drives into a sign. It finishes with PC Selby taking note of the damage and declaring "Should've gone to Specsavers, Pat."

Specsavers used a Mr. Men episode from 1973 with Mr. Happy losing his smile because he missed their offer. He falls out with Mr. Greedy, Mr. Messy, Mr. Tickle and Mr. Bump before the Narrator says "Oh Dear, Looks like Someone Should've gone to Specsavers." This was followed by an advertisement where an elderly couple drive aboard an aircraft carrier (HTMS Chakri Naruebet) instead of the intended cross-channel ferry.

Specsavers' most recent advert depicts a space shuttle with four astronauts beginning their descent into the Earth's atmosphere, before landing on a runway. The scene then switches to an airport terminal with the solemn astronauts standing at a baggage claim, with a women announcing over a public address system that delays have been caused due to an unscheduled arrival, aka the astronauts' landing. The men then leave, passing an electronic information sign that switches to "SHOULD'VE GONE TO SPECSAVERS".

Controversy[link]

Specsavers attracted some controversy after condemning Glasses Direct, a UK Internet retailer claiming that an internet service "did not meet required standards" and "could not offer advice from dispensing opticians".^[12]

In 2006 James Murray Wells the Managing Director of Glasses Direct made claims that four major high street retailers including Specsavers were "leading a campaign to stop prescription glasses being sold over the internet".

Also in 2006 Wells sought election to the General Optical Council, arguing that internet retailers and their customers needed representation. In response the Managing Director of Specsavers, Doug Perkins, wrote to Specsavers branches asking the company's opticians to rally round one of their own candidates "..candidates with the interests of hands-on, professional practitioners at heart". The General Optical Council had previously stated that it believed internet sales of glasses could pose a risk to "public safety" and its priority was maintaining high standards of eye care for the public, and not members' commercial interests. Murray Wells withdrew from the election after it became clear he would not win a ballot.^[13]

Charity work[link]

Specsavers supports numerous optical and hearing charities, including Guide Dogs and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. During their three year support for Diabetes UK they raised more than £250,000 to fund research into diabetic retinopathy. International charities supported include Fight for Sight and Vision Aid Overseas, with whom Specsavers is looking to fund an eyecare clinic and teaching facility in Zambia. Specsavers stores across Britain raised more than £300,000 in 2009 to support the project and an additional £300,000 is planned.^{[citation needed]}

Structure[link]

Specsavers operates most of their stores under a system which is called the 'Joint or Shared Venture Partnership'^{[citation needed]}. This is similar to a franchise agreement between Specsavers and the franchisee; however, unlike many franchises, Specsavers stores work under the policy that 'any Specsavers customer is our customer', thereby meaning that a customer from one branch of Specsavers can expect to get equal service from another branch elsewhere^{[weasel words]}. It also differs in that Specsavers own shares in the franchisee business rather than just providing goods and services under a franchise agreement^{[citation needed]}. In newer territories such as Sweden, Norway and Spain, they operate a normal franchise agreement^{[citation needed]}.

Relationship with Guernsey[link]

The headquarters are based in Guernsey where the founding partners were resident when the company was formed.

Specsavers is the largest private employer in Guernsey, providing 500 jobs. Guernsey is a Crown Dependency and has substantially different company reporting standards to the UK, greatly reducing information available on Specsavers operations and profitability.^[14]

Business strategy and future[link]

The Perkins have stated that they intend to maintain family control of the firm, which currently employs all three of their children in senior roles. Continued expansion into Europe is planned with the immediate aim of being the market dominating opticians in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. It is also intended that the company will become a leading supplier of hearing aids. The Perkins attribute their success to their franchise model (see "Structure" in this article) and the opportunities created by de-regulation of the UK Opticians market by the Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, allowing opticians to use previously forbidden advertising and marketing techniques to rapidly take over a market that had belonged to independent local opticians. The Perkins have stated regarding the remaining local opticians that "their days are numbered", and in fact their major competition now comes from large chains such as Boots The Chemist and Vision Express.^[14]

In popular culture[link]

The lyrics of Skepta's song Rescue Me includes the line: "All I want is a kiss and a hug, but somebody told Specsavers I still can't see no love..."

References[link]

External links[link]

• Specsavers UK
• Specsavers Australia
• Specsavers New Zealand