Vision Express will next month launch a new flagship store on Oxford Street which the optical retailer will use to trial new ranges and multichannel initiatives.

The store, which will complement its existing Oxford Street shop, is the only new store opening this year for the 325-strong chain.

The shop, which opens on October 12, will offer customers extended ranges featuring more designer products, as well as offering new lens technology. Vision Express will also use the store to trial multichannel initiatives, as the retailer has experienced “aggressive growth” online.

Vision Express chief executive Jonathan Lawson said he is “very excited” about the new store. Lawson said details on the multichannel initiatives will be unveiled soon.

“We are not about being the biggest retailer in the market but we want to be the best at what we do,” he said.

Lawson said its more personalised service, which explains each stage of the eye testing process, has been key to differentiating its mid-market proposition from its two biggest rivals, Boots Opticians and Specsavers.

Vision Express has also “taken a firmer grip of the cost base” to ensure the retailer remains robust in the difficult training environment.

The retailer posted a 20% surge in pretax profits to £18.5m last year.

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