An Optician news poll has revealed that independent practices and small chains view supermarket opticians as a far greater threat to their businesses than online retailers.
Tesco's intention to double the number of its in-store opticians as well as Asda's expansion plans for 2008 have practitioners more worried than the increasing success of online retailers such as Glasses Direct.
Linda Hartis of Hindhaugh Opticians in Spennymoor, County Durham, said: It's definitely not the online retailers we view as a threat, it's the supermarkets.' Asked whether the supermarket optician nearby was affecting Hindhaugh's trade, Hartis answered: 'We don't think they're making too much difference - well, not yet anyway.'
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