11931 Annual Review 2013 24pp.indd

Annual Review 2012/13
The Specsavers Partnership
Introduction
We are delighted to welcome you to the 2012/13
Specsavers annual review.
Specsavers has just entered its 30th year in business.
In this time, it has grown from one store in the south-west
of England, to more than 1,650 stores in 10 countries.
Times are exceptionally tough and, regrettably, this year
has seen the disappearance of a number of well-known
high-street names. Despite these challenges, Specsavers
has continued to perform well, looking after 11.6% more
customers and achieving a 6.9% increase in total revenue
year-on-year.
So what is it that drives our success? Partnership.
We talk about partnership being at the heart of everything we do. By this, we mean providing
outstanding business support to ensure our store businesses thrive. Standing shoulder to shoulder
with partners. Working with partners towards common goals. Putting the customer first. Delivering
on our promises. Consulting, listening, learning, challenging. Making it happen together.
When we opened the first store in Bristol back in 1984, we became the first partners. Since then, we
have been joined by more than 2,500 professionals around the world, all working towards the same
vision: to passionately provide best value eyecare and hearing care to everyone, simply, clearly and
consistently, exceeding customer expectations every time.
Partnership has led Specsavers to become the world’s largest private optical group. And it will continue
to define our success into the future. We are incredibly proud to have been there at the beginning and
be part of it still today.
Doug Perkins
Chairman and Co-founder
Dame Mary Perkins
Co-founder
Our Vision To passionately provide best value eyecare and hearing care
to everyone, simply, clearly and consistently, exceeding customer expectations
every time.
Our Values Treat people as we would like to be treated ourselves.
Passionate about:
• Our customers – the lifeblood of our business
• Our people – supporting our staff to be the best they can be
• Partnership – at the heart of everything we do
• Communities – giving back to and working with our local communities
• Results – keep it simple, get it done, deliver on our promises
Contents
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6
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16
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21
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24
The Specsavers Partnership at a glance
Customers
People
Partnership
Communities
Results
The year ahead
The Specsavers Board
Contact details
The Specsavers Partnership at a glance
en
ed ers
Swcsav ptik
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Sp
ay
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Nocsav tikk
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Sp O
k
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De Lielse
N
ain s
Sp ver as
sa c
ec pti
Sp O
nd s
ala er
Ze av sts
w ecs tri
Ne p e
S
tom
Op
a
ali rs
str ve ts
Auecsaetris
Sp m
o
t
Op
d
laners
Finsav ikko
ec t
S p Op
1997
2004
2005
2005
2006
ds
lan ers
er av ns
th cs cie
Ne SpeOpti
I
ROers
v s
sa an
ec ici
Sp Opt
UKrs
ve s
sa an
ec ici
Sp Opt
First store
2008
2008
2007
1990
1984
Number of stores at end of 2012/13
UK
686
ROI
44
115
Netherlands
Sweden
114
Norway
74
78
Denmark
Spain
8
Finland
57
Australia
276
New Zealand
53
optical
540
122
UK
ROI
9
Netherlands
35
31
97
hearing centres / optical stores providing hearing care services
Total revenue end of 2012/13
£981.3m
UK
£58.4m
ROI
£74.2m
Netherlands
£85.5m
Sweden
Norway
Denmark
Spain
Finland
£70.5m
£81.1m
£3.9m
£34.4m
Australia
New Zealand
£345.9m
£43.7m
2,500+
30,000+
13 million
340m
Total number
of partners
Total number
of employees
Total number
of frames sold
Total number of
contact lenses sold
£1.8 billion
6.9%
1,662
78,000+
Total revenue 2012/13
% increase on
revenue 2011/12
Total number of optical
and hearing stores
Total number of
hearing aids sold
£
1800
1700
1600
1550
1500
1450
1400
1350
1300
1250
1200
1150
1100
1050
1000
950
900
850
800
750
700
650
600
550
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
0
Number of stores £ million revenue
04 / 05
Passionate about our customers
The lifeblood of our business
We continually seek ways to deliver ever-better
value and service to customers by doing the right
thing by them.
No compromise
When we talk about delivering best value, it is
not just about great prices; it is also about a
great customer experience and great choice. No
compromise. That’s why we have continued to
provide offers such as free glasses for every contact
lens wearer. It is why we focus on reducing waiting
times, on improving the customer experience with
new stores, refits and graphics, and continue to
invest in our people to ensure they provide the very
best customer service. And it is why we launched
463 new frame styles in 2012.
We continue to introduce exciting new brands,
most recently Armani across all markets, Collette
Dinnigan in Australia, Francisco van Benthum in the
Netherlands and Sand and Redgreen in the Nordics.
We have refreshed some of our existing designer
ranges, including Gok Wan, Tommy Hilfiger, Karen
Millen, Alex Perry and Spijkers and Spijkers, as well
as extending our prescription sunglasses range. And
2013 sees more exciting brand launches, including
John Rocha in the UK and Republic of Ireland in April,
and BOSS Orange in the UK and Asia Pacific a couple
of months later.
Reaching more customers
In 2012/2013, the Specsavers Partnership was able
to reach more customers than ever:
We opened 50 new stores worldwide in a range of
locations, from Lerwick – the capital and main port of
the Shetland Islands, Scotland – to Chatswood,
a bustling suburb of Sydney, Australia.
We opened a new store at Lakeside shopping
centre in Thurrock, UK, offering brand new features
including the Eye Bar, where customers can use IT
to demonstrate the full range of different lenses on
offer. Satellite iPads allow staff to serve customers
anywhere in the store, often saving the time of
needing to seat them at a particular workstation,
while customers can use IT to check out the range
of lenses available. And we rebranded more than 130
stores globally to enhance the customer experience.
In Australia and New Zealand we have introduced a
convenient online system for ordering contact lenses,
delivering direct to the customer’s door, and now
have a 20%-plus share of the contact lens market.
We have improved the pricing structure of our frames
across our Nordic markets to deliver even better
value to customers. Customers can now choose free
Reactions, UltraClear, standard varifocal or thin lenses
with their single pair of glasses, or they can opt for
our 2 for 1 offer and get one of these lens options for
half the normal price.
The introduction of the AQP (Any qualified provider)
model for purchasing NHS services in England
has provided a huge opportunity for Specsavers
to offer free, high-quality NHS digital hearing aids
to customers. AQP means that free NHS hearing
care is now provided with the choice, service and
convenience that you get with Specsavers.
By the end of February 2013 we had won all 21
regional AQP contracts for which we bid and, since
then, have won several more. Tens of thousands of
customers are already benefiting and, in the regions
where we have been live for more than three
months, one in four people now choose to
visit Specsavers for their free NHS hearing aids.
‘We included new SuperTough Trivex lenses in kids’
glasses at no extra cost across all markets, helping to
deliver product that is fit for purpose for our younger
customers while offering great value for money.’
‘When Spain announced
that the rate of IVA would
increase from 8% to 10%,
we froze prices so that
customers would not be
impacted at our tills.’
Top: A partner helping a customer in a UK store.
Inset: The new flagship store in Chatswood, Australia, which has been fitted to our latest specification.
06 / 07
In December alone, we opened 19 new hearing centres
in the Netherlands, and the Dutch are all now within a
30-minute drive of Specsavers hearing services. This led
to a successful tender to become one of three preferred
hearing care providers for Achmea, the biggest health
insurer in the Netherlands covering a third of the market.
We are committed to providing products that offer
comfort and flexibility, which is why we give customers
the opportunity to trial contact lenses before buying.
The size of our business means we have access to the
latest technology and develop many of our products in
close cooperation with top manufacturers. This year, we
have been able to offer new silicone hydrogel contact
lenses at lower prices, thereby making the best and most
comfortable lenses available to even more customers.
They have proved so popular that they now account for
more than 80% of monthly contact lenses sales.
a-MAZE-ing customer feedback
MAZE, our customer feedback system, is now live in
all territories. Getting feedback direct from customers
is incredibly important to us as it helps build closer
customer relationships in store, as well as helping us to
understand customer needs at a national level so that
we can develop our retail offer. Last year, we heard from
well over half a million people through the system. More
than 85% were rated as ambassadors for the brand.
From top: Mad Men star Christina Hendricks, face of the 2012 Spectacle Wearer of the Year (SWOTY)
competition in Australia and New Zealand. Supermodel Helena Christensen, who helped promote
the 2011 SWOTY in Australia and New Zealand before returning to her roots in 2012 to be the face
of SWOTY in Denmark. Leading Dutch designer Francisco van Benthum, whose frames range has
been a real hit with both press and public since its launch in May 2012.
Digital retinal photography, which we now offer free in our
Nordic stores as well as stores in the UK, the Republic of
Ireland, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, can help save the
lives of customers by flagging potential health issues early on.
As was the case with 11-year-old Lucy Briggs when, in January
2013, optometrist Catherine Philpott of Specsavers Rochdale
detected a swelling in the back of Lucy’s eye and advised an
immediate hospital visit.
There doctors performed a CT scan and found a large brain
tumour. Lucy spent two months in hospital and had five operations
before being able to return home to recover. Most of the tumour,
which was benign, was removed and Lucy must now have
regular checks to ensure it does not grow back. A shunt has been
fitted to relieve pressure from her brain and she may require
chemotherapy or radiotherapy, but doctors are confident she
will come through the ordeal.
Dad Ian Shaw, said: ‘It has been a real whirlwind. Were it not for
Specsavers, Lucy would not be here today. We are so grateful to
them for noticing something was wrong.’
Passionate about our people
Supporting our staff to be the best they can be
The future of the Specsavers Partnership depends
on building teams with the skills and the attitude to
provide brilliant service, every time, for every customer.
Which is why we continued to invest heavily in our
people in 2012/13.
Open lines of communication
We use a range of different ways to keep store staff up
to date on operational news and engaged in what they
do, and to support learning and development.
ProFile, our journal for professional staff, went global
in early 2013, now reaching an audience of well over
10,000 worldwide. Our quarterly In The Frame magazine
is now published for store staff across all our territories.
Tailored to each market, the magazine brings frame
news to store teams in an engaging format and contains
useful information that can be passed on to customers.
In addition to these and other printed publications, we
have invested in a new intranet, Connect, to improve the
speed, quality and accessibility of news and information
for store teams. As well as a wealth of support and
resources, Connect includes forums to encourage
dialogue and knowledge sharing. It is now live for stores
in the UK, Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Australia
and New Zealand, and will launch in the Nordics in 2013.
Inspirational development for store teams
More than 1,000 store managers attended our Managers
Seminar in the UK this year, the biggest seminar yet with
attendance up 40% on the previous year. Guest presenter
was British Paralympian swimmer Marc Wood, who spoke
about leadership and the need to ensure that everyone
is working towards shared goals. Delegate feedback was
excellent, with one store manager saying: ‘My head is full
of new information about how we can make our store
better – there is so much to pass on to the team.’
Our support to stores has a greater people focus than
ever before. A globally consistent approach to learning
and development helps us enhance the experience of
our customers, wherever they are in the world.
This is why we now have active people plans across all
markets, setting out training and development priorities
for the year ahead. Training support teams regularly visit
store partners to help develop and track these plans and
to coach individuals in their development. The people
plans dovetail with store business plans to ensure that,
ultimately, they support business success.
Below left: In the frame, our magazine for store staff, which went global this year.
Below: Store managers enjoying themselves at the 2013 UK Manager Seminar.
08 / 09
Passionate about our people
Supporting our staff to be the best they can be
Connect Learning, our online learning management
system, is set to be live in all territories by the end of
summer 2013. The system provides one port of call for
retail, management and laboratory training and allows
individuals to track their own development, access
learning resources and book courses. The system had
well over a quarter of a million hits this year.
We provide a range of retail, operational and clinical
training across all our markets to help staff develop the
skills needed to provide exceptional service and care to
customers. Professional development is key to our training
offer and includes something for all levels from ophthalmic
dispensing assistant to director-level optometrist.
We now run five MBO programmes (vocational
qualifications) at the Deltion College in the Netherlands
and have a student in almost every store studying to
become an MBO 4 optician. With 275 MBO-qualified
opticians in 113 stores, we have by far the highest
‘optician density’ of any Dutch optical chain. The first
10 people graduated as lab managers on the MBO 2
programme in 2012, and the first group of MBO 3 sales
specialists will graduate in 2013.
In the UK and Republic of Ireland we will be welcoming
more than 300 second-year optometry students on
summer placements in 2013, with a view to them
returning to the store in the following academic year
as pre-registration students.
As the hearing care side of our business grows in the
UK, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands, it is
a priority to attract and develop audiologists to serve
our customers. In the UK and Republic of Ireland, we
launched a hearing care programme that attracted
30 BSc audiology graduates. We aim to attract about
70 graduates a year through this programme, as well
as continuing to develop audiologists from within
the business.
But supporting our people isn’t just about delivering
effective communication and development
opportunities. It’s about finding out what they think and
feel. We ran a staff survey in our UK and Republic of
Ireland stores to do just that. Adapted from our survey
for support office staff, the Insight survey included 94
per cent of stores and was a real success. Seventy-eight
per cent of staff had their say and there is a commitment
from partners to use the results to make positive
changes in store.
Investment in our support staff
For support offices, we introduced a new set of
behaviours to help define the way we work, wherever
we are based. Linking closely with our values, they guide
our work day to day and include specific expectations
for people managers.
The latest module in our leadership development
programme explored the importance of engaging with
and enabling teams and was delivered to our broader
leadership group in all markets. This year’s two-day
Leadership Conference evolved these messages with
a focus on how to create high-performing teams.
Above: New starters try out some frames at the global corporate induction.
Opposite: A member of the team at our Heerenveen store in the Netherlands.
We launched a new, global corporate induction for all
support office staff. Ninety-five per cent of new starters
attended the induction within their first four weeks and
the majority worked in store to help them understand
the retail side of the business. More than 1,800 people
attended courses through the Specsavers Academy this
year, with many of the programmes and courses on offer
now run globally.
‘More than 1,000 store
managers attended
our Managers Seminar
in the UK this year, the
biggest seminar yet with
attendance up 40% on
the previous year.’
10 / 11
Passionate about partnership
At the heart of everything we do
The ability to succeed in tough times is down to
our green blood – living by our values and always
striving for better. Across all of our markets, the
Specsavers Partnership is led by people who do
just that – engaged, motivated store partners who
inspire their teams to deliver outstanding service
and form lasting bonds with their customers. As
such our biggest priority is to ensure our partners
get the support they need.
Partner communication and feedback are critical.
This year we developed ever-closer relationships
with partners across all markets through regular
regional meetings, leading partner forums, annual
partner seminars and conferences, and regular
user groups.
More than 1,500 Specsavers opticians and
hearing care practitioners attended the 17th UK
Professional Advancement Conference, the biggest
PAC to date. A range of lectures and workshops
and a packed exhibition hall ensured there was
something for all – including Specsavers’ hearing
aid dispensers who were attending their second
PAC. The winning PAC formula was adopted in
Australia last year, with the inaugural conference
welcoming 250 delegates from our Australian and
New Zealand stores.
We offer a number of partnership development
programmes to build ‘green blood’ leadership in
our stores and to develop a robust talent pipeline
to gear us up for continuing success.
Pathway nurtures the next generation of partners
from within the business, the ‘young stars’ who
will take Specsavers to new heights in the years to
come. Our Partners in Development programme,
which is already run in the UK and Australia,
launched in the Nordics and the Netherlands
last year. Run over 12 weeks, the programme is
designed to develop retail partners for new and
existing stores, combining classroom training with
store experience.
Piloted in February, a new induction programme is
now run for all new partners globally. The five-day
residential course focuses on people management
and leadership, the Specsavers brand and values,
developing a customer-first culture, financial
awareness and responsibilities, and operational
opportunities. It also helps partners who have
been developed within the business to make a
quick and successful transition into their new role.
This year, record numbers of partners enrolled
on Spotlight, our development programme for
existing partners in the UK and the Republic
of Ireland. Almost 1,000 have been on or are
currently attending the programme. And we
launched Profit Through Your Leadership
workshops – a partner-led concept first introduced
in our Australian business – in the Nordics with
around four out of five of partners now taking part.
This initiative will go live in the UK and Republic of
Ireland in 2013.
Pathway, an intensive course to develop the joint
venture partners of the future, was launched in
the UK and Republic of Ireland and is now being
implemented in Australia and New Zealand.
‘Almost 1,000 partners have been on or are currently attending Spotlight,
our development programme for partners in the UK and Republic of Ireland.’
‘Continuous improvement
in our supply chain
processes and services
means that 99.4% of stock
is now delivered to stores
on time, a record high in
service levels to partners.’
We put a number of initiatives in place to help boost
partner profitability in the Nordics; launched a new pricing
structure to deliver even more value to our customers;
enhanced the impact of our marketing; rebranded 46
stores; recruited 53 new partners and streamlined the way
our Nordic office teams work together. Greater focus in
these areas has reaped rewards with a significant increase
in customer volumes and a series of record sales weeks.
In the UK and Republic of Ireland we continue to support
the Partnership Charter to deliver great service to partners,
and have now introduced a Partnership Charter in Australia
and New Zealand to set out our commitments to each
other. And, during tough times, we continue to deliver
cost savings to partners, including £21 million to UK and
Republic of Ireland partners, and have introduced financial
incentives to improve service and drive performance in the
Nordics, Australia and New Zealand.
We continued to expand the supply chain in 2012 with
the opening of a state-of-the-art, purpose-designed, lens
coating facility in Kidderminster. Adjoining one of our
existing sites, the facility has doubled capacity there and
now coats in excess of 50,000 lenses a week.
All our manufacturing and distribution sites operate on a
joint venture partnership basis which means better control
over quality assurance and swifter responses to changing
market conditions. Six of our eight sites – all those assessed
to date – have been accredited with the Carl Zeiss Vision
three-star standard of operational excellence, a fantastic
endorsement of the way our sites are run.
The Specsavers supply chain works to a set of quality and
service level guarantees that assure a high standard of
delivery to stores. Continuous improvement in our supply
chain processes and services has led to 99.4% of stock now
being delivered to stores on time, a record high in service
levels to partners.
From top: Keynote speaker at the 2012 PAC Professor Nathan Efron – an eminent name in
the world of contact lens research – who also spoke at the Specsavers Clinical Conference in
Australia. An example of our KompletPris point-of-sale material in the Nordics. A bird’s eye
view of the 2012 UK Partner Seminar at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham.
The Specsavers Partnership continues to flourish with
customer service levels up across all our markets and
an increase of 11.6% in customer volumes worldwide.
12 / 13
Passionate about partnership
At the heart of everything we do
‘Just two and a half years after
opening our store, we have just
about outgrown our current
premises of two consulting rooms
and are looking to relocate and
double our testing capacity and
retail floor space. It’s simple: the
Specsavers Partnership model
really works.’
Gurpreet Rai and Scott Bissett, East Maitland
store, New South Wales
‘The partnership with Specsavers
and Louis Nielsen gives me a
unique opportunity to fulfil my
personal goals, and at the same
time help other people with great
value eyecare.
Specsavers and Louis Nielsen
have over the years provided
me with the tools I needed to
run a business known for great
service and great products in my
hometown.’
Hans Præst, Randers store, Denmark
‘We’ve got the best
people working for
us and we know
they will push our
brand forward,
whatever it takes.’
‘The rewards for being a
Specsavers partner are numerous:
seeing the fruit of all your hard
work, with a flourishing business;
being your own boss with day-today control of running the practice;
having like-minded directors in
other stores, with whom you can
share and build upon the brand;
marketing, operational and
product development support;
second-to-none buying power
which helps the bottom line.’
Glen McGregor, Epsom store, UK
Amrik Sappal and Judy Borland, Fuengirola store, Spain
‘My experience of being
a partner has presented
me with a challenge
to be successful in
the local community,
manage staff and run
a business. I have not
been disappointed and
would recommend the
experience to anyone.’
Pratish Bhundia, Swadlincote store, UK
‘The Partnership
differentiates us
from our competitors
– some have tried to
replicate it but, as
with all replicas, it’s
not the same as the
real thing.’
Shaf Zaman, London Victoria store, UK
‘The whole thing is a real buzz
for both partners. Having a
partner with dispensing and
retail experience means that
I can focus on what I love best,
practising full-scope optometry
and investing all my time in
my patients’ eye health. The
Specsavers partnership model
completely supports that.’
‘Joining the Specsavers
Partnership has helped me
provide even better service
to my customers. The great
support I get from the team
in the Oslo office makes
this possible.’
Erik Wøllo,
Drammen store, Norway
‘With the business support
that Specsavers provides, I can
focus on doing the things I’m
good at. That’s the beauty of
the partnership, you’re doing it
together. The individual stores
and the support office have a
common goal: to make the store
as successful as possible. And
the success of the Specsavers
formula has long been proven.’
Eric van Baars, Maastricht store,
the Netherlands
Chris Boyle, Auckland store, New Zealand
‘Joining the Specsavers
Partnership has been a
good move. I can run my
own optical business with
all the experience of the
Specsavers brand behind
me: marketing strategy,
purchasing power and good
management support at
every level.’
Martijn Dumas, Ridderkerk store,
the Netherlands
14 / 15
Passionate about our communities
Giving back to and working with our local communities
We believe in citizenship and are passionate about
supporting our local communities and national good
causes. We are also committed to supporting eyecare
and hearing care projects in developing countries.
In the past 12 months, Specsavers has raised £1.2
million across the world for charities and good causes.
Our stores support numerous charities and good
causes throughout the year, ranging from very local
initiatives to national charities, including Guide Dogs
for the Blind in the UK and Republic of Ireland. And
our support office staff are encouraged to give their
time to good causes through our ‘Giving back to local
communities’ volunteer programme.
4
Find out more about Specsavers’ community
involvement as well as our ethical and environmental
commitment in the Specsavers Corporate
Responsibility Report, available at specsavers.co.uk
1 More than 30,000 high-visibility vests were donated
by UK and Republic of Ireland stores to primary
schoolchildren to help make sure they are seen
more clearly when outside in the dark.
2 Fijian Sarla Prasad with Specsavers charity
ambassador Peta Mathias after receiving sightrestoring surgery on her eyes at a Fred Hollows
Foundation New Zealand outreach centre.
1
2
3
5
3 The Athletics Athloi club in Utrecht receive a cheque for
€2,000 (£1,700) from the Stichting Specsavers Steunt, the
Specsavers charity foundation in the Netherlands.
4 More than 100 men in our Guernsey and UK offices and in the
stores grew moustaches during November to raise money for
men’s cancer charities. The £25,000 raised was matched by
Specsavers and then doubled by company co-founder Doug
Perkins, bringing the final total to £100,000 and making us
one of the leading fund-raising teams in the UK.
5 Finnish stores collected unwanted glasses from customers
and donated them to Sri Lanka, as part of a project set up
by Vision for All.
6 We opened three vision centres in Zambia in 2012/13, and
there are now a total of five centres in the country as well
as the Specsavers-funded optometry training school in the
capital, Lusaka. So far 22,000 patients have received eyecare
in the Specsavers-funded centres.
6
7 Our UK and Ireland stores continued to support numerous
charities and good causes, ranging from very local initiatives
such as raising money for local community centres and
hospices and sponsoring sports teams, to national charities
such as Guide Dogs for the Blind and Vision Aid Overseas.
8 Over 250 people spent a day of work time supporting a huge
range of good causes as part of our ‘Giving back to our local
communities’ policy.
7
8
16 / 17
Passionate about results
Keep it simple, get it done, deliver on our promises
‘Our children’s market has been
another success story this year,
thanks to SuperTough Trivex lenses
and exciting new brands, with UK
kids’ volumes up 9%.’
The year 2012/2013 was another challenging one that
saw continued instability in the global economy. By
putting the customer at the heart of everything we do,
and staying true to our vision that affordable eyecare
and hearing care should be available to all, Specsavers
has adapted to the changing market and performed well.
•
Revitalising our pricing structure across the Nordics
and the Netherlands to ensure we are able to deliver
even better value and support to customers in these
challenging times
•
Our Port Melbourne laboratory manufacturing and
dispatching more than 55,000 pairs of glasses each
week to our Australian and New Zealand
store networks
•
Improved results in our Nordic markets as a result of
our efforts to restart the Specsavers revolution in the
region, with significantly more customers through our
doors and a series of record weeks
•
Specsavers Opticiens winning Best Optical Chain at
the 2012 ING Retail Excellence Awards – as voted by
the Dutch public
•
Dispatching around 2.5 million frames from our
frame warehouse in Hong Kong in its first full year
of operating as the distribution centre for stores in
Australia and New Zealand
We have achieved some great results. Here are
some highlights:
•
Seeing 9.5 million more customers this year,
an increase of 11.6%
•
Opening 50 new stores worldwide
•
Strong performance in the UK and Republic of Ireland,
leading to a retail turnover in those markets of more
than £1 billion in 2012, and 300 of our stores earning
record sales weeks in the first 10 weeks of 2013
•
Being successful in all 25 tenders to date to provide
free hearing aids to customers on behalf of the NHS
in England
•
The consolidation and restructuring of our store network
in Finland, enabling us to focus on stores in the larger towns
where we can offer best value for money eyecare and
maximise growth – and attracting a significant increase in
customers to our stores in the last six months of the year
•
Our children’s market which has been another success story
this year, thanks to SuperTough Trivex lenses and exciting
new brands, with UK kids’ volumes up 9%
•
IT service delivery, which is at 99.6%, supporting a system
that manages 9.5 million customers across 1,700 locations
•
Being endorsed as the industry’s best and coolest optician in
Denmark by receiving all three Optimus Awards – Denmark’s
most prestigious awards for graduate opticians
•
Our Creative department winning another clutch of awards
for our memorable advertising
•
Opening two new stores in Spain (in Guardamar and
Marbella) and our growth in that market in terms of both
sales and customer volumes – especially compared to a
Spanish optical market which is declining year on year
•
Record-breaking sales for five consecutive weeks in Australia
and New Zealand and revenue growth well in excess of 10%
for the year – and being ‘highly commended’ in the VISA
Australian Retailer of the Year category at the Australian
Retail Association’s 2012 Retail Awards
From top: Lady and dog from the ‘Shocked by the price of hearing aids’ campaign. Louis Nielsen contact lens press ad.
Ad to promote over-50s offer in Spain. The Specsavers team at the Australian Retail Association’s Retail Awards 2012.
18 / 19
The year ahead
2012/13 was another fantastic year for the Specavers Partnership
which saw customer volumes and revenue up in spite of the
economic challenges.
I am often asked what is behind our success. There is no simple
answer to this; it is not down to one big thing done well but
thousands of small things delivered brilliantly and with the passion
and energy for which Specsavers has become known. The preceding
pages are testament to this.
But there is one thing that makes all of this happen, one thing
at the heart of everything we do, and that is partnership.
Together with our partners, we will continue to succeed in these
tough times by focusing on the things that really matter: providing
exceptional clinical care and professionalism to customers;
developing outstanding Specsavers people with a customer-first
attitude; delivering quality that customers can depend on; offering
a staggering range of frames and brands; and developing our retail
offer to meet changing demands and to blow away the competition.
Business success does not come about by chance or being in the
right place at the right time. It happens through sound judgement,
agile decisions, grit and determination and an insatiable appetite
for better, higher, faster, more.
And, for the Specsavers Partnership, success comes about through
our 2,500-plus partners working tirelessly to delight their customers,
develop their staff and drive up the performance of their store
businesses. 2013/14 promises to be an exciting and challenging year
for us and, through our trademark passion and energy, it is set to be
a successful one.
John Perkins
Managing Director
20 / 21
The Specsavers Board
Doug Perkins
Chairman and Co-founder
A qualified and registered optometrist, Doug is
responsible for the overall success of the Partnership.
He also has specific responsibilities for driving
professional standards within Specsavers and influencing
the regulatory agenda across all our markets. He and
his wife Mary established Specsavers in 1984 with its
unique joint venture partnership concept and the vision
of making eyecare more affordable. In 2006 and 2012
respectively, He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate
from Anglia University and from Plymouth University.
Doug is also an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University
and of Swansea University.
Dame Mary Perkins
Co-founder
Also a qualified and registered optometrist, Dame Mary
monitors the culture and direction of the company.
She plays an active role on a number of national and
local charities and was made a Dame Commander of
the Order of the British Empire in 2007 as well as being
appointed ambassador for Vision Aid Overseas in 2009.
Dame Mary is an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University
and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Plymouth
University in 2012.
John Perkins
Managing Director
John joined Specsavers in 1998 and worked in UK
operations and the international teams before joining
the Board as Commercial Director in 2003. In 2007, he
was appointed Managing Director. A qualified chartered
accountant with an MBA in retailing, John spent five
years with Deloitte before joining Specsavers.
Derek Dyson
Group Retail Director
Derek joined Specsavers in 1998 with responsibility
for UK operations. In addition to his responsibilities for
retail advancement across our global network, Derek
assumed the role of General Manager of Australasia
in January 2012 and, currently based in Melbourne, is
leading the Australian and New Zealand business in its
next phase of development. Before Specsavers, Derek
spent 27 years with Tesco, progressing from trainee
store manager to retail operations director.
Nigel Parker
Chief Commercial Officer
Nigel joined the Board in 2006, taking on responsibility
for product development, the sourcing of frames,
contact lenses, spectacles and accessories and for global
procurement. Later, he took on responsibility for the
group’s commercial and international expansion activity
and, in 2012, assumed overall responsibility for our
Nordic operations as well as group manufacturing and
distribution. He joined Specsavers in 1997 from Essilor, the
world’s largest manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses, and
became director of ophthalmic lens development
and then director of commercial development.
Richard Holmes
Group Marketing Director
Richard joined the Board in 2007 as marketing director,
responsible for the development of the global brand
and for marketing and PR activities in all countries. He
previously worked for Boots where he held a number
of marketing roles over 10 years, including being
responsible for the launch of their Advantage Card
programme. Prior to this, he worked for 13 years for
Unilever, based in London, Paris and Milan focusing on
fast-moving consumer goods.
Pauline Best
Group HR Director
Pauline joined Specsavers in 2008 as Group HR
Director, responsible for all elements of people and
organisation strategy and activity across the group.
Before joining Specsavers, she spent 20 years working
in mobile communications, including 12 years with
Vodafone, where she held positions of HR director UK,
regional HR director northern Europe, Middle East and
Africa and most recently their global leadership, talent
and people capability director.
Paul Fussey
Chief Financial Officer
Paul joined Specsavers in 2009 and has overall
responsibility for the finance, tax, property, legal and
IT functions of the business. He joined from Boots UK
where he was finance director for the last three years
and also held positions of divisional finance director for
supply chain and shared services and managing director
for Boots’ manufacturing division with operations in the
UK, France, Germany, Poland and the Far East. Prior to
Boots, Paul had various roles at MFI Furniture Group
including finance director for Hygena, Schreiber and
supply chain.
22 / 23
Contact details
Guernsey
Specsavers Optical Group
La Villiaze
St Andrew’s
GY6 8YP
Southampton
Specsavers Optical Superstores
Forum 6
Solent Business Park
Whiteley
Hampshire
PO15 7PA
Copenhagen support office
Specsavers
Stamholmen 153
4. sal
2650 Hvidovre
Denmark
Tel +45 (0)36 94 4594
Denmark
Louis Nielsen A/S
Indkildevej 2A
9210 Aalborg SØ
Tel +45 (0)70 13 0111
Nottingham
Specsavers Optical Superstores
Cirrus House
10 Experian Way
NG2 1EP
Finland
Specsavers Finland Oy
Neilikkatie 17
01300 Vantaa
Tel +35 (0)810 218 4380
Tel (UK callers) 0845 2020 241
(International callers)
Tel +44 (0)1481 1000 241
Norway
Specsavers Norway AS
Grenseveien 107B
PO Box 0601
Etterstad
N-0601 Oslo
Tel +47 (0)4830 9040
Netherlands
Specsavers International BV
Huizermaatweg 320-322
1276 LJ Huizen
Tel +31 (0)35 628 8311
Sweden
Specsavers Sweden AB
Box 205
SE-401 23 Göteborg
Tel +46 (0)31 771 9800
Hong Kong
Specsavers Procurement
Asia Limited
Unit 1701, 17/F Lu Plaza
No. 2 Wing Yip Street
Kwun Tong
Kowloon
Tel +852 (0) 3719 0000
China
Specsavers Procurement
Asia Ltd
No. 2163 B/603
Wan Yuan Road
Shanghai
201103
Australia
Specsavers Pty Ltd
The G
520 Graham Street
Port Melbourne
Victoria 3207
Tel +61 (0)3 8645 0700
New Zealand
Specsavers New Zealand Ltd
Unit A, 26 Triton Drive
Mairangi Bay
Auckland 0632
Tel +64 (0)9 475 0250
Partnership opportunities with Specsavers
UK and ROI
Optical – David Martin
Tel +44 (0)845 2020 241 / 07585
307897
Netherlands
Optical and hearing
Robin Loke
Tel +31 61 503 4086
Hearing – James Thompson
Tel +44 (0)845 2020 241 / 07766
498259
Australia and New Zealand
Raj Sundarjee
Tel +61 (0)424 135 485
Nordics
Matt Scott
Tel +44 (0)7765 243 107
Corporate opportunities
with Specsavers
specsavers.com/careers
Spain
Jose Angel Moral-Tajadura
Tel +34 637 237 320
James West
Tel +44 (0)7879 430 844
For all other opportunities
please contact Matt Scott
Tel +44 (0)7765 243 107
Specsavers
La Villiaze
St Andrew’s
Guernsey
Channel Islands
GY6 8YP
Tel +44 (0)207 2020 241
specsavers.com
Cover image: Malini and Krupesh Barchha,
partners at the Specsavers Winchester store, UK
Printed on recycled paper