Scandinavian battle hots up

Competition in the Scandinavian optical sector is hotting up.

In Norway, where Specsavers Opticians has a presence, the way has been cleared for a subsidiary of Dutch-based Pearle Europe to acquire an 80-store optical chain.

Optical news service VM Extra has reported that Optikk Norge will be bought by Synoptik, Pearle Europe’s operating company in Sweden and Finland, in the second quarter of its financial year.

The Norwegian chain achieved €65m in sales in 2005. Last month Pearle Europe acquired F-O Optika Foto, whose 102 stores in Hungary and 12 in the Czech Republic achieved €37m in sales last year.