Look local: Indies gain traction in Ipswich

Boats have been sailing into Ipswich port for centuries. In fact, it is one of the oldest towns in England, having developed from a small market community to an invaluable dock trading Suffolk cloth with mainland Europe. Today the town has reinvented itself with a stylish £70m waterfront development, and the tradition of successful trade is very much intact. Competition is rife, and practices are pulling out all the stops to ensure a steady flow of patients through their doors.

Specs Factory practice manager Duncan Hockney believes the multiples in town have put greater pressure on the independents to think carefully about their pricing. ‘There’s a big threat in terms of multiples, so I keep a close eye on supermarkets so we can retain our loyal customer base. We do compete on price to some extent, but we’re not prepared to fully cut our prices, especially when Tesco is offering free eye tests.’