Practices must adapt to stand out

Independent practitioners have agreed they must adapt to achieve growth and stand out from the competition.

Research by Sight Care's Eye Love My Local Independent Optician campaign found the majority of practices were expecting flat sales in the coming year and 84 per cent believed they needed to adapt. In total, 57 per cent of practitioners expected sales to remain constant over the next year, with 25 per cent expecting a decline and 18 per cent an increase.

Sight Care also held a first European Ideas Forum, in London, sponsored by William Morris Eyewear and attracting independent groups from Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.