Vision Express in the black

The French optical group is predicting an annual sales growth of 15 per cent for the coming year, in addition to a greater growth in profitability, after achieving a net profit of &\#163;20m last year. The latest sales figures for its UK and Ireland subsidiary Vision Express indicate a similar upturn in trading after a loss of &\#163;4.6m in 1998. The company achieved a 25 per cent increase in sales last year, with total sales worth &\#163;141m. A trading profit of &\#163;4.29m was recorded for the period to December 1999. GrandVision has forecast trading for Vision Express to improve in 2000 and 2001, to reach the same level of trading profit as its French brands in 2002. Vision Express re-opened two branches in its new optical lab concept format this month. Two new branches in Gyle and Livingston, Scotland and one in Chester were also opened.