Tesco plans expansion of optical departments

Supermarket group Tesco is planning to expand its optical services this autumn.
The chain, which has been slowly expanding the number of branches with Ôoptical departmentsÕ providing eye examinations, is to unveil another branch in May at its new Sandhurst, Berkshire outlet. The Tesco board has also given its approval for the opening of several more outlets later in the year.
Customer planning manager Judith Robinson, who was involved in launching TescoÕs full optical service, said: ÔWe went to the main board a couple of weeks ago and it was felt the service is getting quite encouraging results. Although itÕs officially still in its trial stage, the service is progressing.Õ
Tesco entered the prescription spectacles market in 1997, but it was not until two years later that the supermarket group decided to begin a full optical service Ð including eye examinations Ð at its Peterborough Tesco Extra site (News, March 12 1999). TescoÕs patients pay £16 for an eye examination, and at the time of launch ÔcompleteÕ prescription spectacles, including scratch-resistant single-vision lenses, started at £19.95, with a choice of 140 frames.