Celebrating Excellence: Retail Experience Design Optician Awards Finalist 2024

We are proud to announce that Retail Experience Design has been shortlisted for the prestigious Optician Awards 2024, in the Supplier of the Year category. Being nationally recognised in the top 5, alongside major industry players and brands, is a testament to our decade-long dedication to the optical industry, our innovative design approach, and relentless pursuit of excellence.

Helping opticians think like retailers

For a decade, Retail Experience Design has been closely involved with the optical industry. When we first entered this sector, change was desperately needed. Patients were increasingly becoming consumers, expecting more from their opticians, while independents and multiples were falling behind the high street brands. We set out to show opticians how to think like retailers. Today, as the industry continues to evolve, our vision remains unchanged: to be a catalyst for change, recognized as the retail design experts in the UK optical sector.

Our goals have always been clear, helping opticians:

Deliver a personalized customer-patient experience.
Identify their brand values and translate these into their physical environments.
Create spaces that offer both expert eyecare and an exciting retail experience.
Stand out from competitors and improve commercial performance.

The vision behind our success

We’re designers, not shopfitters. We always challenge off-the-shelf solutions and inject fresh thinking into every project. Each practice is unique, and by pursuing “results-driven design,” we’ve transformed traditional, tired interiors into unique retail spaces that reflect their brand and elevate their products.

Our designs have created highly efficient workspaces where opticians can deliver both a positive customer-patient experience and an exciting retail offer. This approach has consistently helped practices improve services, attract customers, grow sales, and ultimately, increase profitability.

Design that deliver results

Our bespoke designs have transformed not just the practice environments but have also dramatically improved our clients’ commercial performance. These successes underscore our commitment to creating environments that not only meet but exceed our clients’ commercial and aesthetic expectations.

Step into any practice we’ve worked on and you’ll instantly see our impact, both functionally and aesthetically. Our clients consistently report measurable improvements in service levels, customer loyalty, rising sales, and sustained commercial growth. Examples of our impact this year include:

Lynne Fernandes Opticians asked us to differentiate them by curating the retail experience. After a retail-only refit, they reported a superb increase in retail sales, considering the previous year had shown above-inflation growth: 40% for the first 4 months and 20% over the first 9 months. In profit terms, the work will pay for itself in 2 years.

Edwards and Walker had their most profitable first quarter in nine years of operation: c.20% increase in sales, month on month and 300+ new patients and exams

Ashdown & Collins experienced a 20% increase in their weekly sales average just three months after their redesign, with customer feedback overwhelmingly positive.

The Eye People recorded a 35% rise in turnover (July 23 to July 24) a 17% rise in retail sales, total profit up 15%, clinical exams up 11.67% and a 25.86% increase in new patients.

Perspective Opticians had record daily sales (+2k) and monthly sales (+5k) in 19 years of trading. Annual turnover was up by £50K and their average transaction value per client by £85 (10%). This, in a town centre with decreased footfall, after two flagship stores closed.

Chapmans demand for appointments grew by 15% and turnover c.20%.

Rawling Opticians & Hearing Care saw retail sales rise £52K (11.%), new patients 28%, eye exams up 12% and Average Dispense Value by £15.81 (6.5%)

Behind our optician awards nomination

Our trailblazing efforts over the past decade have not only reshaped the landscape of optical retail but also set new standards for customer engagement and profitability in the industry. Our nomination for the Optician Awards 2024 is a significant achievement for our dedicated team and a celebration of the trust and partnership we’ve built with our clients.

We’re celebrating ten years in the industry and, once again, we’ve delivered on our goal to be a catalyst for change. We’re a trailblazer – a champion for innovative design and strategic thinking in the optical industry.

But perhaps the biggest reason comes from our customers. We were overwhelmed by how willing they were to discuss the impact of our work. One said, “We can’t believe you’ve never entered!”. Another said, “I’m more than happy to support your entry – in my opinion, you should win!”

We’d love to win this award for our team but also for our clients – the independents and multiples in this industry who’ve shown that with the right design, you can grow your business and achieve your goals.