Optical Express to axe loss-making practices

Optical Express is to close around 40 of its high street stores with the possible loss of up to 100 staff in a restructuring blamed on the economic slowdown in the high street.

Consolidating its retail store portfolio would allow OE to focus resources on its flagship locations and online business, it added.

The firm said the economic downturn was impacting on consumer spending and a lot of the stores identified were in tertiary high street locations that have been further affected by lower footfalls as consumers move more to shopping centre locations.

'It's a one-off reorganisation of the portfolio and it will allow us to focus our efforts on the flagship stores to give customers an excellent service,' said a spokesman for Optical Express.