Dollond & Aitchison, the high street optician chain, is to merge with
Alliance Boots to become a debt-free, larger optician and a stronger competitor for Specsavers.
Dollond & Aitchison will disappear after 250 years of providing eyewear for the public. The newly combined chain will own 690 stores and employ over 5,000 people, whilst trading under the Boots Opticians name. It has been predicted that annual sales will reach £350m.
Specsavers, with about 1,300 operations worldwide, and about 22% of the market compared to 16% for Boots and Dollond & Aitchison, will still be the strongest player in the market.
John Perkins, managing director of Specsavers, believes that many of the stores owned by Boots and D&A will have to close, as they are situated too close together. Boots, however, says there is not much of an overlap.
Alliance Boots are to take on a controlling stake in the new company. Italian optical retailer, and owner of D&A, De Rigo, will own a minority stake and is expected to be involved in running the business.
Peter Dolland founded his optician business in 1750, while James Aitchison opened his first store in 1889. The two opticians merged in 1927 to become the Dolland & Aitchison brand.
