Specsavers sets Swedish sights on 70 Blic shops

Specsavers is eyeing aggressive European expansion, following the£3.2 million acquisition of Swedish spectacles chain Blic.

Britain's largest optician has 500 stores and a 31 per cent market share in the UK. The retailer made a successful foray into the Dutch market five years ago, and plans to follow a similar route in Scandinavia - expanding the Blic chain from 34 to 70 stores.

Specsavers has set a medium-term goal of 1,000 stores, and a turnover of£1 billion. Specsavers International business director Reidar Bakker said the Dutch experience had convinced the group that the Specsavers model was a 'winning formula' for international markets.