Ultralase to hit high streets with 20/20 Optical Stores

Laser eye clinic Ultralase is moving into the high street in a joint venture with 20/20 Optical Stores.

A clinic is to be opened in the 20/20 Optical Superstore in Oxford Street, London. If successful the idea will be rolled out to other stores across the country.

Ultralase recently appointed HDM Agency to its &£5m through-the-line account, after a three-way pitch through the AAR. The company has major national expansion plans.

The pitch, against AMV Advance and Cambridge-based Ware Anthony Rust, does not affect Ultralase’s media buying and planning business, which is held by Brilliant Independent Media Specialists.

Ultralase marketing manager Robin Jones says: “We intend to make Lasik optical surgery easily available in every major city throughout the UK, and we are backing up our words with an initial investment in excess of &£8m.”

Ultralase’s high street presence places it in direct competition with Boots Opticians, which announced last month it is to expand its laser eye clinics to a further five cities by the end of the year. Boots opened its first eye treatment centre in Regent Street, London, in December last year.

Ultralase estimates 2 million people worldwide will undergo laser eye treatment this year.

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