Vision Express revealed net profits during 2008 of £18.4m, increasing from £15.7m during 2007.
The company's chief executive Bryan Magrath said: 'We had a very good year considering the current economic climate.'
He added that trade this year has been 'up and down' as the industry has suffered as a whole.
Despite difficult conditions, Vision Express, which is owned by parent company Hal Holding, is still hoping to open a minimum of 11 stores to add to its portfolio of 329 practices and will consider additional acquisitions after its 2008 purchase of the Batemans Opticians chain, according to Magrath.
He said that the Batemans practices which remained open following the takeover have been modernised and made 'wind and watertight'.
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