How do opticians survive?

BananaRepublic

I go into SpecSavers and it’s always busy, lots of people, decent prices. I’ve been into numerous independent opticians in our area, and they are almost always empty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone browsing frames. And of course the prices are high. Clearly I’ve answered my own question, most opticians make a lot of money per customer unlike SpecSavers who make a small amount per customer but have lots of customer. I live near a small market town. There is one SpecSavers, and two independents. Quite how we support two indies is beyond me. Or are they busier during weekdays when I don’t visit?

chanie

My local independent opticians does lots of NHS work and we were referred to them by the hospital for my son. We buy his glasses from them and they are a little bit more expensive. We don’t buy his swimming goggles or sunglasses from them as they are significantly more expensive and the opticians know they can’t compete.

The reasons I go to my local opticians:

They know us by name and look after us when we go in. Even if we pop in for something different, they will automatically look at my sons glasss and offer to tighten them. Likewise, they will tell me if he needs a new pair due to a growth spurt.

My son has seen the same optician for years and he feels comfortable with her during the test. This is really important as he has poor eyesight and can get upset if he thinks he is ‘failing the test’.

They give us free lens cleanser when we go and will top it up when we pop in.


I would imagine that a lot of opticians make their money from eye tests rather than the glasses themselves and if people are having tests they will be in the testing room for most of their appointments, so the shop will look empty. More people are working on VDUs so can get free eye tests from their employers and people learning to drive may want to get their eyes checked in case it impacts on their lessons. I see lots of children wearing glasses at my children’s school, so they are getting tested.

donnac2558

Independent opticians also will come to your home for an eye test, a pensioner near me has one. They will also come to care homes and do them there. No idea if the likes of Specsavers etc also offer this service?

kirtondm

I would imagine that a lot of opticians make their money from eye tests

No. Most people are entitled to NHS eyecare for which the govement pay £20. If you test 1/2 hourly that is £40 / Hour to run a professional practice!

Even a specsavers runnning 3 clinics at 20mins is only getting £180 / Hour and they are paying 3 optometrists plus lots of anciallary staff. Specsavers also pay on turnover rather than profit to head office.

Even a very clinical practice such as hours which is paid extra by the NHS to provide acute community services would not survive solely on professional fees.

Undervalued

I suspect many are struggling.

This has been discussed on here before but I feel it is a consequence of the "lost leader" business model they have adopted.

An optometrist has a great deal of training and skill which is in no way reflected by the low level of fee (or no fee at all!) charged for eye tests. Increasingly many are being used by the NHS as a "minor eye condition service" to screen and reduce pressure on hospital ophthalmologists. I don't know exactly what fees they get from the NHS for doing this but I suspect they are not exactly generous!

So, they continue to try and make their money from heavily marked up "fashion accessories" (i.e glasses). Increasingly online and out of town suppliers are making inroads into that market supplying the same products vastly cheaper.

Because of the "fashion" aspect of the business, most opticians still trade from very expensive high street retail locations for no obvious reason apart from tradition.

Personally I feel there must be scope for various medical related services to combine and share premises, receptionists, car parking etc perhaps in a larger GP surgery. Or maybe a dentist, physiotherapist, chiropodist and optician etc under the same roof?

tidus

They're struggling is the answer. Independants are closing all over. There is a market for high end stuff that you don't get in the chains, and many provided additional services for the NHS - but Specsavers are moving heavily into the medical arena, anticipating increasing more outsourcing from the NHS to larger companies

Specasvers now own one of the biggest NHS contracted providers for basic eye surgery (New Medica), also the biggest provider of care home sight testing (Heathcall - I think), and also NHS provided hearing aids in many areas. Presumably they haven't rebranded these companies yet because they don't think the UK is ready for a Specsavers hospital.

They have gone as far as they can with price cutting on the traditional revenue stream (glasses).

Tallaght

Some big opticians buy the frames in bulk from the far east for around £2 a frame then sell them for £150 +.

BrassicWoman

I'd happily pay an independant more, as I generally get better service when I am there, but the ones near me have bad/no parking, and keep office hours only - when I am at work. 8 week wait for a Saturday. An 11am - 7pm day once or twice a week would help!


Big chains do me an evening or weekend appointment same week without fail.

tidus

Tallaght wrote: »

Some big opticians buy the frames in bulk from the far east for around £2 a frame then sell them for £150 +.

Not for £150.

A frame costing £2 (only looking at Specsavers at that price who can place an order for thousands of indentical frames - and even then the frame would be a piece of cr*p) would be in the £29/£39 range.

Don't forget basic lenses are normally included as well, and you're paying for lens edging, hopefully some frame fitting/adjustments, payment towards the sight test they didn't charge enough for, and all the costs of running a shop. You are not just paying for the frame.

Undervalued

tidus wrote: »

Not for £150.

A frame costing £2 (only looking at Specsavers at that price who can place an order for thousands of indentical frames - and even then the frame would be a piece of cr*p) would be in the £29/£39 range.

Don't forget basic lenses are normally included as well, and you're paying for lens edging, hopefully some frame fitting/adjustments, payment towards the sight test they didn't charge enough for, and all the costs of running a shop. You are not just paying for the frame.

But that is exactly the problem. The online companies will supply that sort of frame with coated single vision lenses (OK without the fitting / adjustment) for £6 and are presumably making a profit. That is less than one fifth of the price.

So I stick with my view that the optician should charge a proper professional fee for the sight test, operate from more sensible and economic premises and charge a fair market price for any products they sell. Whilst I am sure many people are quite happy to pay a little extra for a personal service most people dislike feeling they have been ripped off.

tidus

Undervalued wrote: »

But that is exactly the problem. The online companies will supply that sort of frame with coated single vision lenses (OK without the fitting / adjustment) for £6 and are presumably making a profit. That is less than one fifth of the price.

So I stick with my view that the optician should charge a proper professional fee for the sight test, operate from more sensible and economic premises and charge a fair market price for any products they sell. Whilst I am sure many people are quite happy to pay a little extra for a personal service most people dislike feeling they have been ripped off.

Actually, most online companies struggle to make a profit as well, but that's another conversation.

I agree with your point but how do we get there? In some areas 60-70% of sight tests are NHS funded so fixed at about £21. The going rate for a private sight test is pretty similar.

If, say, Vision Express decided to suddenly raise their sight test fee to £50, and not renew their NHS contract, how long would they last? Most people would just go elsewhere and the company wouldn't last 6 months.