Nottingham optician eyes national expansion

The owner a branch of opticians based on Friar Lane in Nottingham has announced the rebranding of his now independent business and has revealed big plans for the future.

Indy Atwal, owner of the former Nottingham CrossEyes, now known as Loxley Opticians & Eyewear Experts, exited his franchise agreement with CrossEyes with the support of local law firm Fraser Brown. In total, six franchisees recently chose to exit the franchise, resulting in CrossEyes closing its UK operation.

Now that Loxley Opticians & Eyewear Experts has rebranded and become an independent business, Atwal’s long-term plans involve building the company into a national brand bringing jobs and investment to the local area.

Loxley Opticians & Eyewear Experts is unlike other opticians and provides a relaxed environment where its customers are able to choose from a large variety of frames from independent designers.

Atwal said: “The CrossEyes chapter was a huge learning curve, but becoming an independent business has had a lot of fantastic benefits, including having the ability to change and adapt in ways that large companies often find difficult.

“Nottingham is the perfect city for independent businesses as there’s a lot of great support from both the Council and other business owners. We have ambitious plans to make Loxley Opticians & Eyewear Experts a well-known and established brand in the UK and I look forward to seeing the new business grow from strength to strength.

“When I first made the decision to open my own store, the Fraser Brown team helped me through the process of setting it up, and again now that I have changed to an independent business they helped me every step of the way. I think it’s so important to have knowledgeable and experienced people behind you when going through changes like this, and I couldn’t recommend Fraser Brown enough.”

Loxley Opticians & Eyewear Experts, which has three members of staff, was given its new name as a nod towards Nottingham’s heritage due to its location and proximity to Nottingham Castle and the Robin Hood statue.

Fiona Boswell, head of franchising and commercial services at Fraser Brown, advised Indy on securing a release of his franchise.

She said: “Indy is very passionate and dedicated about what he does and has a clear vision of what he wants to offer. It has taken a great deal of work to get the company rebranded, but it looks fantastic and will be very well received in Nottingham.

“Indy is in a good position to run his own successful and independent business and I look forward to seeing the business grow. I’d like to wish him the best of luck in his new business venture.”