Perkins started the high street opticians’ chain with her husband in 1984. Despite the temptation to “stretch the brand”, as she puts it, Specsavers “stuck to the knitting and grew the business to what is a very good market share”. She adds: “Every store is successful, there’s never been a store that’s closed. That’s quite an achievement.” Successful international expansion is another aspect of the business that Perkins is proud of. “We were able to successfully migrate the structures and systems we have to literally the other side of the world – Australia and New Zealand,” she says. Specsavers employs approximately 24,000 people across its call centres, shops, head office and manufacturing hubs. Turnover for 2008 was £1.2bn. Perkins admits while 2009 will be tough, the company is in a good position. “Specsavers represents value for money. That’s what we concentrate on: affordable eye care for everyone. In times like this, people shop around to get the best deal,” she says. “Turnover will grow this year; we’ve never not grown. In this economic climate, we may not experience double-digit growth but we’ll have nice, healthy growth.” Picture source
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.