ASDA takes on rivals with fixed-price offer

ASDA has announced a provocative pricing promotion which accuses its retail competitors of enticing customers in with low headline prices only to then spring additional charges on top.

It described its common sense commitment as the first truly transparent pricing programme which offers single-vision spectacles at a fixed price regardless of the prescription. The offer is priced at £50 or £70 for designer frames or two pairs for £90.

Asda's head of optical Nik Langrish-Dixon said other retailers' lead-in prices might sound good but they hide a multitude of additional charges.

'We are offering customers a flat price for a pair of specs no matter what their prescription - no hidden extras, no nasty surprises.' The all-in price includes the frame, single-vision lenses for prescriptions between +20D and -20D, an anti-scratch coating and an anti-reflection coating. It also includes mid- or high-index lenses should the patient's prescription warrant them.