From the sporting accomplishments of Jessica Ennis-Hill and Jamie Vardy, to the musical triumphs of Jarvis Cocker and Alex Turner, Sheffield has secured its place as a city of talent and success. It has been at the heart of industry and manufacturing in the UK since the days of the Industrial Revolution, and has an international reputation for steel-making.
Currently, the steel city is undergoing a huge regeneration, with many buildings being knocked down to modernise urban areas. Redevelopment plans were originally halted following the 2007 recession, but now the city is enjoying the benefit of major investments. But where do Sheffield’s optical businesses fit into the new plans?
Specsavers’ city centre branch is scheduled to move to new premises early next year to keep up with increased demands of the store. A new shopping centre, the Moor, will facilitate the store alongside other popular retailers such as Primark. The director of retail for the city centre store, Lorna Armitage, says: ‘We have seen more customers now than we have in previous years. As a store, we needed more space and the new branch will have an incredible 12 test rooms to keep up with demand.’
The multiple has been in Sheffield for nearly three decades and is a trusted brand within the community. ‘We offer a good service and have a lot of very highly qualified staff. People know they get value for money and we offer guarantees and money back if customers aren’t entirely happy,’ says Armitage. ‘We have a mixture of customers who come into the store, and have the benefit of two large universities so we also get a large influx of students coming in.’
It is a similar story of positivity for independents such as Alex Gage Family Optometrists, who create links between the city and the business. ‘We have developed a sports vision side of the business as Sheffield is a big sport city with an Olympic Legacy Park opening up soon,’ says practice owner Alex Gage (pictured left). ‘We can’t compete on price with the multiples, so we make ourselves look distinctive. We offer a quality service and being able to talk about different spectacles for different people is really beneficial, for example, a cyclist who goes out on the bike every weekend will have different requirements to a regular glasses wearer.’
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Alex Gage Family Optometrists, which has two practices in Sheffield.
With three Specsavers, plus Asda and Tesco beginning to make their presence known, the city hosts a lot of competition. But according to Rob Hughes, practice manager of Martyn Kemp Opticians, the independents thrive due to enhanced services. He says: ‘The business is popular because of loyalty. A lot of our patients have been coming to this practice for over 20 years. We’re friendly and approachable and give them the continuity of care.’
Who's in town
Total: 11
Independents: 4
Multiples: 7
Average costs
Prices for an eye examination range from a £10 offer to £30. The average cost is £20.
Population - see pie chart
Sheffield population: 552,698 (2011 Census)
Community eye care
According to the Locsu Atlas Map of Optical Variation, the Sheffield Local Optical Committee has secured contracts for cataract post-op and referral, children’s vision, glaucoma referral refinement and repeat readings, ophthalmology referral triage and minor eye conditions.
Health and affluence
- Average house price in Sheffield is £150,595, compared with an average of £216,750 for England (Land Registry).
- NHS expenditure on vision problems per person is £82, compared with the UK average of £89 (RNIB Sight Loss Data Tool 2015).
- The percentage of people living with sight loss is 3.53%, compared with the UK average of 4.07% (RNIB)
- There are 3,820 patients in Sheffield with wet AMD and 1,780 with dry AMD (RNIB).
- There are 5,700 people living in the borough with cataract, 5,020 people with glaucoma and 34,240 with diabetes. Some 11,490 patients have diabetic retinopathy (RNIB).
Fun facts
Sheffield is home to the world’s oldest football club, Sheffield FC.
The World Snooker Championships are held annually in the city.
Hit British 1990s film The Full Monty was set in Sheffield.
Popular bands Arctic Monkeys and Pulp are from Sheffield.
The city boasts a rich sporting heritage, including Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill.
Due to its high population and heavy industries including armaments, Sheffield was a bombing target in World War Two.