Leeds Co-op receives boost from growth in optical sales

Its overall performance helped push trading profit to £837,000, up 413 per cent.
Leeds Co-operative is unconnected with the Eyecare Opticians chain from the separate Manchester-based Co-Operative Wholesale Society which was sold to Optical Express in 2001. It has five practice outlets and an optical wholesale branch.
The 2002 financial results included the newly refurbished Headlingley practice which improved its sales to nearly £1m. The other branches include one in Sheffield under the Sheffield Co-op banner.
Speaking ahead of this week's annual general meeting of the Society, chief executive Alan Gill said that the opticians side of the business had performed well, recording volume increases in sales. 'During the last year we have achieved our best financial result since we put in place our new strategy six years ago,' he said.
'We will need to continue to work hard on behalf of our 58,000 members and 750 employees to improve on this year's result.'
Members of the Society are able to receive free eye examinations at its branches among other benefits.