Murray Wells queries impact of online rivals

The launch of rival online eyewear collections from the leading multiple chains has had no impact on sales at glassesdirect.co.uk, the website which pioneered the concept, because its competitors lack e-commerce expertise, according to founder Jamie Murray Wells.

As reported in Optician (August 19), Boots Opticians, Specsavers and supermarket chain Tesco all launched online eyewear collections within days of each other. All three said customers would be offered free in-store fittings as a benefit.

Speaking to Optician this week, Murray Wells said: 'Learning the skills and the competencies to operate a world-class online retailer is something that requires total focus as a business. This cannot be achieved optimally if the company is working with a high-street model on the e-commence side of things.