VE ahead by 2 per cent in third quarter

Vision Express Ð excluding 89 joint venture stores Ð improved sales by 2 per cent in the third quarter of 2002.
The 106 non-franchise outlets in the UK and Ireland recorded sales of E56m, an improvement of 3 per cent on a like-for-like basis, during the three months July-September.
This was an improvement on the 'disappointing' results of the first half this year (News, September 6). Parent company GrandVision announced that overall its European optical outlets had achieved a 7.5 per cent advance in sales in the third quarter compared to last year, totalling E148m (2001: E138m).
Chief executive officer of the Paris-based group, Daniel Abittan, said after an excellent summer September had been 'slightly disappointing'.