Specsavers goes double Dutch

'Specsavers Opticiens', as the company is named in Holland, will open its 15th Dutch store in December and plans to open at least 20 more in 2001. When Specsavers opens in Almelo on December 16, the Guernsey-based optical retailer will have launched 12 stores in the Netherlands since April this year - a rate of one every two to three weeks. The company's latest locations include the capital, Amsterdam, the largest city in the north, Groningen, and several outlets in what Specsavers calls 'key towns' around the country, including Enschede on the eastern border. In each town, the arrival of Specsavers Opticiens has been publicised by the local media, with stories on how the UK optical name will 'open the eyes' of customers with its offer of 'gratis glazen' (free spectacle lenses) and 'gratis lensen' (free contact lenses with your solution).