Just months after opening its first UK practice in Clerkenwell, London, Danish optician group CrossEyes has revealed plans for a nationwide franchise network.
CrossEyes, which has six franchise practices in Denmark, has targeted the UK market and has aimed to open five franchise practices in London initially, before expanding around the UK.
The company’s co-founder and owner Søren Møller said he hoped that there would be 15 practices in the UK by the end of 2015. Dialogue has already taken place with a number of potential franchisees and the company said it would work on the expansion with the retail property agents that managed the expansion of the Danish jewellery brand, Pandora.
The CrossEyes concept, devised in 2009 by Møller, was a reaction to what he said was an old fashioned eyewear industry. Initially created using a ‘CrossEye at Home’ mobile concept, the first practice was opened in in Denmark in 2010. Practices use a minimalist, Nordic aesthetic designed by Danish architect Jens Christian Nørmark, with raw brick walls and light coloured wooden boards.
Using his background in fashion accessory manufacturing, Møller has created a range of approximately 300 on-trend frames – each produced in limited runs. ‘The focus has shifted amongst people buying glasses. From the logo fixated mainstream expression to something more individual. Today, people are much more style conscious, especially here in London.’
‘Most people would rather not wear big logos on the temples of the frames, that style is long gone. Therefore we spend a lot of time developing the design of our glasses. We want each and every one to be able to come in and find a pair of glasses which exactly underlines their personality,’ said Møller.
Frames are manufactured in Japan and China, before being shipped from Hong Kong to Europe. New styles are added to the collection every two months, and Møller said he had found that this had brought a lot of repeat business in Denmark.
Keen to avoid what the company said were the convoluted pricing structures of traditional opticians, CrossEyes has implemented what it felt was an open and clear price list. ‘We found that many people went into opticians and left disappointed because they had an idea of price that they wanted to pay based on promotional campaigns, but went away disappointed because the price ended up much higher due to add-ons and the like,’ said Møller.
Ophthalmic frames with an eye test and single vision lenses cost £145, with freeform progressive lens options priced at£295. Eye exams cost £30 and are deducted from the overall purchase if frames are not bought at the same time. NHS, along with a range of other vouchers, are also accepted.
Møller said the company’s close relationship with suppliers allowed it to take ownership of the production process and control the pricing structure – something reported to have been well-received by patients who appreciate transparency.
Frames are prepared in Hong Kong after an order is placed and shipped to practices in 7-10 days depending on the specification of the lens. Practices don’t keep any frame stock, just the portfolio of styles. ‘Buying and keeping lots of stock is something that is really killing retailers at the moment,’ said Møller.
The company’s ethos is ‘eyewear and optometry,’ and passionate and skilful optometrists were said to play a pivotal role in the business. ‘Our optometrists get a full 30 minutes to see patients said Møller. ‘There is no pressure to sell certain products or add-ons – which allows the optometrists to work in a relaxed atmosphere.’
Joint owner of the Clerkenwell practice and resident optometrist Panos Nicolaou had previously worked as a locum for independent practices for 10 years and came across the CrossEyes group while in Denmark. ‘I really believe in the concept and with the growing control that major companies have over the market, I feel more independent now than I would be as an "independent,"’ says Nicolaou, who is also the chair of the Kensington, Chelsea, Westminster LOC.
‘CrossEyes presents a good opportunity for optometrists. There are no faux-clinical procedures on the shop floor, I can concentrate on providing a thorough eye exam,’ he added.