Visus writes: With friends like these

To be honest I didn’t think I would return to the matter of Sight Test Fees quite so soon.  However the fantastic news from VE CEO Jonathan Lawson was enough to warm the cockles of the heart of any optometrist as well as the hard-pressed pockets of the NHS.

To recap, Vision Express offered free eye tests at all 390 “stores” during National Eye Health Week (even the GOS ones presumably ?).  As reported on-line booking doubled the usual number of appointments. Mr Lawson was quoted “Despite some industry misgivings about the value of this campaign, these results underpin exactly why we have invested in it, successfully reaching people who may not have had an eye test”. Wow, what insight, what optical sector teamwork, what constructive long term positioning but what were the bait-switch results ? Or did the increased sales just help cover the cost of the potentially more valuable exercise of the Vision Van?