Next entry confirms exclusive

Next has made its entry into the prescription eyewear business as predicted in Optician earlier this year.

The fashion house denied it was moving into prescription eyewear at the time of the April 1 issue and complained to Optician when it ran the original story.

Next finally admitted that it had plans to sell prescription eyewear but despite being contacted by Optician on numerous occasions since has failed to provide any further details. 

Single vision spectacles make their debut in the latest Next Directory at prices starting at £39.99 for full frame styles with scratch resistant lenses. The range includes supras, plastic, metal and rimless styles with a number of lens options.

A spokeswoman for Next said all of the frames were own-branded and the company's literature states they are made by a specialist optical manufacturer.

A range of lens options are available but the firm was keeping tight-lipped about who would be glazing the frames but a support hotline is already being manned. Rimless styles are £109.99 to £179.99. Next designer hand-finished products range up to £141.99.

The Next Directory, which has around 2 million active users, explains that powers between -5.00D and +5.00D with cyls up to 2.00D can be catered for. Superior lenses and thin and light lenses have narrower bands of powers.

The directory also gives tips on taking the measurements from the wearer's current frame to ensure a good fit. In the absence of a PD on the prescription, Next is opting for an 'average' measurement.

In a letter to Optician (see next week's Letters) Frank Norville said he thought practices would be relieved that the prices were at the level announced and commented that the ordering process had massive scope for error.