Opticians acquires outlets from rival
AN OPTICIANS business has expanded its branch network in a new deal which has seen it acquire 19 outlets from a rival firm.
The deal has seen 75-year-old business Scrivens take on 19 branches from Rayner Opticians. The undisclosed agreement brings the total number of Scrivens stores in the UK to 171.
The acquisition will also secure more than 75 jobs and end months of uncertainty for the Rayner employees. All 19 branches will remain open and will be fully rebranded to Scrivens by June 2014.
The deal is a strategic move for Birmingham’s Scrivens as it takes the family-run company into new regions including the North East, North Wales and Hereford, as well as cementing its presence in Yorkshire and the North West.
Scrivens chairman and chief executive Nicholas Georgevic said: “We have been steadily growing our business through strategic acquisitions over the last decade, adding a total of 38 branches in the last five years alone. We are delighted that this portfolio of Rayner branches will join our ‘family’, securing the future for this dedicated team of employees.
“Despite the recession, we have remained totally committed to local high streets which we consider essential to our continued success. We have continued to invest in our estate to provide professional and accessible NHS and private optical and hearing care services for our customers, many of whom have been with us for generations.
“We now look forward to welcoming the Rayner customers into our fold, by providing a seamless service experience.”
Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care was founded in 1938 by Solomon Scriven, the grandfather of Nicholas Georgevic and the company’s legal director Mark Georgevic. By the early 1950s, Solomon had opened stores in London and Sheffield at which time the company introduced a hearing aid service into its practices.
