Birmingham optician chain to merge with Boots

Jan 30 2009 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post

Birmingham opticians chain Dollond & Aitchison is to be swallowed up by Boots - including its long-established Aston headquarters.

The head office under the new regime will switch to Nottingham but the impact on the 200 workers at Rocky Lane, Aston, its headquarters since 1969, remains unclear.

The merger will create the second-largest optical chain in the UK with about 690 branches, directly employing more than 5,000. But the Dollond & Aitchison name will largely disappear from the high street, although it may be retained for some products.

The announcement comes three months after Dollond & Aitchison closed its flagship store in the Bullring after nearly five years of trading. It employs about 270 in Birmingham, including the 200 at the Aston headquarters. Last October it denied it was in financial difficulties and said it had avoided compulsory redundancies among 13 full and part-time Bullring employees.

A statement on the Boots merger issued said: “It is envisaged that the Dollond & Aitchison branches will, in due course, adopt the Boots Opticians brand. Both businesses have a strong heritage and an excellent reputation for service and customer care, providing a great opportunity to combine these strengths under one brand with a differentiated product offering.”

Dollond & Aitchison was acquired ten years ago by De Rigo, market leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of high-quality eyewear, and one of the largest optical retailers in Europe.

The statement added: “Alliance Boots will hold a controlling stake in the new company which will be jointly owned with De Rigo. It will be run as a stand-alone business and it is proposed that, in due course, the headquarters will be based in Nottingham.

“Within the new business, Pradip Patel (currently MD of Boots Opticians) will become chairman and Andy Ferguson (CEO of Dollond & Aitchison) will be appointed as managing director.”

Andy Ferguson, Dollond & Aitchison’s chief executive, added: “Both businesses – D&A and Boots Opticians - are well-known for our strong heritage and excellent reputation for service and customer care. We intend to grow and develop, delivering enhanced performance, so my message to our customers, employees and business partners in Birmingham is that this is very good news.”

The transaction, which is subject to approval by the competition authorities, is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2009.

Maurizio Dessolis, vice-chairman, De Rigo, said: “The proposed merger will bring together many complementary strengths. We are confident that with this extraordinary opportunity for expansion it will thrive.”

* The merger of Dolland & Aitchison (D&A) with Boots Opticians could make the firm the latest in a string of well-known brands to leave Birmingham. Victoria Elmore looks at other iconic companies no longer resident in the city.

In April 2005, Rover cars ceased to be produced when the MG Rover Group became insolvent. Rover was founded as Starley & Sutton Co. of Coventry in 1878.

After developing the template for the modern bicycle with its Rover Safety Bicycle of 1885, the company moved into the automotive industry and started building Rover cars from 1904 onwards.

HP Sauce was formerly produced in Aston, Birmingham. It is the most well known brand of brown sauce in the United Kingdom and Canada as well as the best selling.

After a long stretch in Aston, HP Sauce was brought by H.J. Heinz and is now being produced in the Netherlands.

Bird's Custard was invented by Alfred Bird in 1837, but was later taken over by Premier Foods. Bird's Custard factory still exists today, but is now known as The Custard Factory, Birmingham’s new arts and media quarter.

Lucas Electrics was formerly based in Birmingham in 1872. It was founded by Joseph Lucas with his son Harry.

It left Birmingham when the vehicle electronics section was sold in the 1980s to Magneti-Marelli.

Last March, Birmingham saw The Works, the UK’s largest national discount book seller, go into administration.

The Works, which had 317 stores across the country, was set up by Mike Crossley, the discount book seller, and his wife in 1984.