Specsavers celebrates 10 years in NZ
Specsavers Albany celebrates 10 years

Specsavers celebrates 10 years in NZ

December 1, 2018 Staff reporters

Specsavers opened its first New Zealand store in Albany, Auckland, 10 years ago in November 2008, just nine months after opening its inaugural store in Australia. By the end of the year, Specsavers had opened more than 150 locations across both countries, converting a mix of independents and small groups to Specsavers’ business model before focusing on new stores.

Today there are currently 52 Specsavers stores in New Zealand. The joint venture partnership model is the mainstay with more than 100 New Zealand store partners participating in the business - the majority being first time business owners. While “changing the face of optometry” was the launch rallying cry of founder Doug Perkins 10 years ago, the patient focus remains, said the company, citing the recent completion of its $6.5 million OCT rollout in New Zealand

“It seems quite extraordinary that 10 years have passed since we opened the first Specsavers practices in New Zealand,” said Doug Perkins. “While Kiwis were quick to embrace the Specsavers mix of high-quality clinical service, fashionable frames and incredible value, we could never have imagined the pace and scale of growth that our store partners have sustained over 10 years.

“Our mission in those first few years was to ‘change the face of optometry’ and ten years on it is remarkable to see the results. The average price of a pair of glasses has remained almost 50% lower than 2007 prices, the optometry market has trebled in size and New Zealanders have more choice and better value than ever before. The demand for clinical service is at all-time high and graduate optometrists are now the most highly-paid graduates in both Australia and New Zealand.

“In 2008 New Zealanders were typically returning for an eye test every five years – in Specsavers stores we know that is now every 2.2 years… our growth is set to continue and in the next 10 years we have a lofty but attainable goal – to transform eye health in New Zealand, Australia and beyond.”

In its most recent financial year (2017/18) Specsavers NZ recorded sales of more than $130 million, while maintaining a market share of over 40%. In the same year it dispensed 440,000 pairs of glasses and 3.2 million pairs of contact lenses. It currently employs almost 800 full time equivalent staff members, including partners, store staff and support office members.

Background

Specsavers was founded in 1984 by husband and wife team Doug and Mary Perkins – both optometrists who met and qualified together at Cardiff University in Wales in the late 1960s.

Specsavers founders Doug and Mary Perkins with new NZ director Graeme Edmond in 2008

Upon graduation, the Perkins established their own optometry business, Bebbington & Perkins. In a few short years they had more than 20 practices. Their mantra then, as now, was to provide accessible and affordable eye care for all members of society. However, they soon realised that it wasn’t possible to manage multiple locations effectively as a single ownership team. Having sold Bebbington & Perkins in 1980, they set about researching franchise and partnership businesses and in 1984 launched the first Specsavers stores. The model paired an optometrist with a dispensing optician in a joint venture partnership, with Specsavers supplying a range of business, administration, training, product and marketing services in exchange for franchise fees.

Already doing business in eight countries before coming to Australia and New Zealand, Specsavers opened its original Port Melbourne-based manufacturing, warehouse and office facility in 2007 as a supplier of frame and lens products through the Optovision buying group. In July 2007, at a frame and lens user group meeting in Sydney, practitioners asked what the franchise opportunity might be and the discussion that ensued led to the establishment of Specsavers as it’s known today.

Doug Perkins based himself in Port Melbourne on a permanent basis to oversee the rollout in both countries, while Mary shuttled back and forth to mind the business back in the UK. In mid-2012, with more than 250 stores open, Doug handed the reins to the local team and moved back to the UK, while remaining involved from a distance.

Specsavers today encompasses more than 1600 optometry businesses in 10 countries.