Vision Express chief executive officer Bryan Magrath has said the closure of six of the 75 Bateman practices acquired in May was necessary but no further closures are planned.
As reported in last week’s Optician, (News, December 12), Vision Express has closed Batemans outlets in Chichester, Farnham, Havant, Andover, Barnstaple and Taunton. They were all located near existing Vision Express joint-venture outlets.
In a statement to Optician this week, Magrath said: ‘The decision to close these stores is part of an overall programme to strengthen our business. Since the acquisition of Batemans in May we have been working hard to integrate these stores within the Vision Express brand. We have instigated a multi-million pound refurbishment programme, which includes investment in training and new ophthalmic equipment to ensure a consistent customer experience in all stores. To date, 49 of the Batemans stores have been refurbished and rebranded as Vision Express UK.’
He added: ‘A minority of Batemans stores have been closed. Where possible, the majority of staff have been transferred to the corresponding Vision Express store.’