Longton residents are benefiting from a new ‘Vision Express at Tesco’ store, which has officially opened its doors with a celebration led by local MP, Jack Brereton – as research indicates a worrying outlook for eye health in the area.
As MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, Jack was invited as guest of honour to the opening of the new Vision Express store on Baths Road, to help cut the ribbon on the premises and join the optical team in encouraging members of the public to prioritise their eye health.
In Stoke-on-Trent alone, over 8,300 residents are living with suspected glaucoma, the silent thief of sight. Almost 2,000 local people are suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with over 9,000 people having a heightened risk of developing AMD, due to drusen – yellow deposits under the retina.
“Eye health is a growing issue for Stoke-on-Trent and I would encourage everyone to have regular eye tests and take their vision seriously,” said Jack. “I’m proud to support this event and raise awareness of eye health in Stoke-on-Trent, especially those who drive, with research revealing there are almost 3,000 road casualties a year caused by poor driver sight.”
‘Vision Express at Tesco’ Longton store manager David Cotton said: “It was fantastic to have our local MP, Jack Brereton join the team to officially open our new store.
“We had a fantastic day celebrating the opening and with state-of-the-art examining equipment, our team is looking forward to delivering the personal and thorough vision care service Vision Express prides itself on, to both new and existing customers.”
The Longton optical store is one of more than 200 ‘Vision Express at Tesco’ outlets launching across the UK in 2018 and showcases a purple-infused rebrand being introduced across the entire Vision Express chain.
The re-brand introduces a refreshed logo and striking purple and green colour decor, featuring bright sofas and wooden flooring, delivering a modern, inviting and vibrant environment to encourage customers to feel at ease.
Vision Express’ acquired Tesco Opticians at the end of 2017. In preparation for the expected increase in demand for frames prompted by the acquisition, a £1.5 million investment has been made at Vision Express’ Nottingham-based Technical Centre.
Vision Express CEO Jonathan Lawson added: “This is a hugely exciting time for the Vision Express family, and we’re delighted to welcome new team members to the company and provide a seamless eye health service to former Tesco optical customers.
“Crucially, we’re pleased to now be able to offer our vision expertise in convenient locations to residents. With almost 5,400 people in the area at risk of AMD, safeguarding our sight through regular eye exams with a trusted optician has never been more important.”
