Asda is offering free contact lens assessments with every eye test in its optical practices, a measure which it hopes to roll out on a permanent basis according to Asda buying manager Nik Langrish-Dixon. The assessment ,which usually costs £15, is available across all of Asda's UK practices with every £15 eye examination and is 'risk free' according to Langrish-Dixon 'with absolutely no obligation to buy any contact lenses'. Subsequent follow up appointments are also free and patients are issued with a specification once the fit is complete.
Describing Asda's optical business as 'going from strength to strength', Langrish-Dixon said the supermarket retailer intends to open optical practices in another seven stores this year, which will bring the total number of Asda Opticians to 90. The new practices would be located across the UK, but primarily in England he revealed.
Langrish-Dixon stated that the retailer has also expanded its fixed price prescription glasses offer to include custom varifocal lenses, allowing customers to buy a pair of designer frames with custom varifocal back-surfaced progressive lenses for £110. This price contains 'no hidden extras' and is 'significantly cheaper than competitors,' he said.
Asda's first fixed-price deal provides patients with single-vision spectacles at a fixed price regardless of the prescription (News 23.10.10). Revealing its impact, Langrish-Dixon told Optician: 'We continue to be the customer champion on optical and our customers really understand and appreciate the simplicity in our pricing structure which shows in a 40 per cent uplift in volume since we launched in October 2009'. Explaining the offer's popularity he added 'customers love the outstanding and transparent pricing structure on our glasses' which he said encouraged its expansion to include varifocals.
Another major development for the retailer's optical business has been the addition of fundus cameras to its nine stores in Scotland. Langrish-Dixon said that Asda was exploring the possibility of introducing fundus cameras to all of its practices, with the intention of including the service in the standard £15 eye examination fee.
Asda's intention to make permanent its free contact lens assessment offer is the latest volley in a price war which started with its first fixed price glasses deal and has seen Tesco Opticians permanently provide full free tests across all its practices (News 5.3.10).