Optical practices from around the country had a mixed trading period in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Some outperformed sales from the previous year, while for others business was sluggish, an Optician news poll has revealed.
Optician's findings come at a time when the UK high street has largely experienced a downturn during the festive period. Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) published this week revealed that December sales across the entire British retail sector rose only 0.3 per cent on a like-for-like basis, compared with December 2006. This represented the weakest monthly performance for the British retail sector since the decline in March 2006.
Practice director John Davidson of Querido & Davidson Optometrists in Newcastle upon Tyne said his business had experienced only minor growth. When given the BRC's figures he asserted: 'We would mirror that, our growth for last year as a whole was 0.5 per cent.'
In the capital, Perry Sabner, practice manager of Hoxton Opticians, claimed that December was always a slow month. He explained: 'This year was a little bit better than the year before, but not by much. Ever since I can remember December has always been a dead month.'
Another London practice to endure a difficult December was LK Leon Opticians. Practice manager Martin Payne said: 'December was slow and slightly down on the previous year.'
In the Causeway shopping complex outside of Bristol, Marian Blake Opticians enjoyed a much cheerier Christmas. Practice manager Narinder Bamrah said: 'Sales in December were up 10 per cent in comparison to December 2006.'
He painted a positive picture of 2007, asserting that 'sales for 2007 as a whole were up 20 per cent on 2006, which in turn were up 20 per cent on 2005'. Asked if such impressive sales had been achieved through offers or promotions, Bamrah answered: 'No, our sight tests remained the same price.'
Toni and Guy Opticians of Manchester were also upbeat about December's sales figures. Optical assistant Lynne Taylor said: 'Sales were up on the previous year, but we're a relatively new practice and sales have been growing month on month anyway as more people get to hear about us.
'This was only our third Christmas,' she added.
Asked if they were offering any promotions to encourage sales, she explained: 'In December we offered free sight tests for customers that bought specs and that worked very well. In January we're doing a two-for-one offer on frames and that's going great too.'
December was a slow month for Portland Eyecare which operates practices in Birmingham and Staffordshire. 'December did go quiet, although sales were up slightly on the year before,' said area manager Rachel Whitehouse. 'But financially, December's performance was about equal to December 2006.'
In Aberdeen, Jon Quipp, practice manager of Black and Lizars, divulged that without running any promotions December's sales performance was up on last year and over target.
'You could say it was a very good December,' he concluded.