Our annual review 2021 2022 - Specsavers
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Contents To Our purpose 4 change Our growth 6 lives Our customers 10 through Our people 22 better Sustainably making a difference 32 sight and Looking forward 40 Printed on Carbon Balanced Paper. Visit carbonbalancedpaper.com for more information. hearing Specsavers Executive Committee 42
4 We do, of course, continue to operate in uncertain times. We know challenges lie ahead due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, an increasingly tough competitor landscape, as well as fragile political and economic conditions. However, with the strong recovery of our business, we are able to refocus on the long term and the ambitions that guide our plans for the next five years: • Delivering outstanding value and being loved by every customer • Being the place we are all proud to belong As we reflect on recent times, the challenges of navigating through a Covid-19 environment • Being the clear market leader in every region, naturally remain at the forefront of our minds. caring for 60 million customers Although the pandemic meant that many As ever, our final thoughts in this introduction eyecare services were withdrawn, reduced are for those who make Specsavers what or restricted, our stores were able to remain it is today: our 45,000 partners and colleagues open for those who needed us most. Ensuring across the world. our services were available and accessible for urgent and essential eye health or hearing Thank you to each and every one of you, needs alleviated pressure on hospitals at such for your ongoing hard work, energy, a critical time, and helped essential workers and passion. carry out their incredible work. We are beyond Thank you for inspiring us. grateful to all our partners and colleagues who worked on the front-line to care for our And thank you for keeping our purpose customers safely - providing reassurance, as alive today as it was 40 years ago. It was about making quality, best-value compassion, and clinical expertise. Our eyecare accessible to everyone. Despite these difficult times, it has been Taking those first steps, we had no plan another truly outstanding year for Specsavers. purpose to be the biggest, simply an aspiration to be the best. This relentless focus has This review explains just some of the areas enabled us to grow - opening new stores, where we are making a difference: enhancing entering different markets, broadening our our offer to even more customers as we services, and delighting more and more entered Canada as part of our growth Doug Perkins customers around the globe. We started Nearly 40 years on, the Specsavers family ambition; launching innovative products, services, and systems to provide even greater Chairman and Founder Specsavers with one is a little larger, with almost 2,500 businesses across 11 countries. But our purpose remains value and choice to our customers; investing in the development, careers, and wellbeing goal in mind: to make as true as in those early days: changing lives of our people; reviewing our impact on the world around us to ensure we are through better sight and hearing - today, for Dame Mary Perkins a real difference. more than 41 million customers. sustainably making a difference. Founder 5
6 Our growth the year Figures as at the end of February 2022 in numbers 510 million 22.1 million+ £3.43 billion contact lenses sold frames sold revenue Group 40,800 530,000 hearing aids sold colleagues 24.88% on 2020/21 41.4 million 4,700 Growth customers partners worldwide 2 million 1.4 million UK £1,886.7m ROI £152.1m Netherlands £158.3m customer feedback visitors to our website Sweden £143.7m every week responses Norway £98.2m Denmark £159.1m Finland Spain £42.9m £6.3m 47,255 2,464 Revenue by Australia £684.4m ophthalmic procedures optical, audiology, market New Zealand £86.4m performed via Newmedica domiciliary, and Newmedica businesses Canada £12.5m 7
8 Our Finland 51 1984 Opened first store in UK Norway 83 1990 Entered Republic of Ireland businesses 1997 Entered Netherlands 2003 Launched ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ strapline in UK UK 892 | 236 | 50 | 14 2004 Acquired Blic optical group in Sweden / Expanded into audiology in UK Sweden 114 2005 Entered Norway / Acquired Louis Nielsen in Denmark 2006 Entered Spain ROI 61 | 17 Denmark 78 2007 Entered Finland / Expanded into audiology in the Netherlands 2008 Entered Australia and New Zealand Netherlands 142 | 135 Spain 9 2010 Market leader: New Zealand 2011 Market leader: Australia 2013 Acquired UK domiciliary eyecare business Healthcall 2014 Market leader: Denmark, Norway and Sweden 2015 Market leader: Finland 2016 Expanded into enhanced optical services Partnered with UK ophthalmology business Newmedica 2017 Expanded into audiology in Australia 2019 Expanded into audiology in New Zealand 2021 Entered Canada Canada 17 Our story Australia 359 | 133 so far Optical stores New Zealand 56 | 17 Audiology stores Domiciliary partnerships Newmedica services 9
10 Our customers Delivering The Covid-19 pandemic prompted us to outstanding value, accelerate some of our innovation activity to support customers outside of the traditional being loved by retail environment. For example, RemoteCare, our free virtual consultation service, available every customer. globally, enables our clinical experts to be available by video call or over the phone to provide essential health advice for eyes and ears. We also improved our online chat capability, giving customers quick and easy access to answer their queries. We also brought forward the roll-out online will ensure we continue to lead the way of eCommerce services to all our regions, in delivering better health outcomes. so that customers worldwide could purchase Our investment in this area has again our products online. Launching Tele-optometry increased as we introduce more digital (initially in Sweden) resulted in greater enhancement into the customer experience, customer access to care in remote or hard regardless of how and when our customers to recruit areas. choose to interact with us. Last year, As lockdowns were lifted and our stores we improved many technological elements experienced exceptional volumes, we enhanced of the customer journey, allowing us to move our online appointment system so that faster, respond to consumer needs more customers could easily view availability across effectively, and introduce new features quickly. a number of stores in their local area, making it even easier to book an eye or hearing test Innovating the at their convenience. We also upgraded our customer experience virtual try-on technology allowing customers to try frames at home, reducing the amount As customers increasingly look for simple, of physical contact with frames in store. convenient, and accessible ways to experience We build trust and loyalty by providing our services, it is important for us to offer A new digital platform across the UK and first-class clinical care, unbeatable value, a flexible approach to meet ever-changing Republic of Ireland, gave customers the excellent choice, and unwavering quality expectations. Seamlessly combining first- convenience and freedom to manage elements to our 41 million customers worldwide class interactions in our stores with remote of their contact lens scheme online; reducing so that we really can change lives through expertise delivered over the phone or virtually, their reliance on in-store visits or contact better sight and hearing, every single day. as well as the ability to purchase our products centre interactions. 11
12 Leading the way in clinical care, we became We continue to invest heavily in the capabilities the first optometry chain in Norway to required to grow Newmedica further, including offer optical coherence tomography (OCT) our team, systems, and the brand itself. In the in all stores. The technology provides our last 12 months, three new Newmedica surgical optometrists with detailed 3D scans of the centres opened as ophthalmology joint retina, meaning they can detect certain ventures, and we have plans for seven eye conditions up to four years earlier than more in the year ahead. traditional imaging methods. We are hugely proud of the outstanding patient outcomes achieved by our teams: Enhancing our offer our posterior capture rupture rate (PCR) is 0.3% (well below the national average Exploring how we further diversify the services of 1.1%) and 99% of patients say they would we offer across all our regions, providing recommend us to their friends and family. a total care solution for customers, remains as important as ever to ensure our success We are committed to reaching people who may as a multi-category business. not be able to access our services in the usual way. Our domiciliary business provides clinical Following our partnership five years ago with care to those in the UK and Republic of Ireland Newmedica, a UK leading provider of NHS- who are unable to visit our stores. With almost funded ophthalmology services, we were proud 170 new colleagues joining us, we expanded our to become sole owners in 2021. Newmedica business and saw sales increase by almost 25% operates across 26 sites in England, offering in the UK. services to NHS and private patients, covering the major adult sub-specialities of glaucoma, To help ensure our ophthalmology provision cataract, medical retina, macular and is accessible to all, we began forging links YAG lasers. between our domiciliary and Newmedica businesses, starting with supporting post- cataract reviews for housebound customers. Looking ahead, we are excited to offer audiology services as part of our home visits and will launch the first pre-registration student programme in the domiciliary field. In Australia, it is estimated that 50% of Australians living with diabetes are not receiving regular eye health checks. This is despite diabetes being the leading cause of blindness in Australia and the fact that most vision loss is preventable through regular eye tests and early treatment. KeepSight is Australia’s solution. The initiative sees patients with diabetes receiving reminders from Diabetes Australia if they don’t return An eye operation at Newmedica Eye Health Clinic for an eye test following a recall message and Surgical Centre, Shrewsbury. © SAW Photography. from Specsavers. 13
14 400,000 registrations to the KeepSight bring our concept to life for customers. While patient database so far, registering more than it underpins our core principles of value, style, 80% of the patients with diabetes that have expertise, and care, we are always evolving Now is the time appointments with us each week. to ensure it also maintains the very highest levels of awareness. We further developed to implement Our strategic alliances with leading eye- health organisations across Northern Europe our ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ messaging to appeal to our ever-changing customer base change, such (including the Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired and local Associations of the Blind as well as investing heavily in newer forms of media including data-driven, social, and digital. as fast-tracking in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) saw us hosting public events and delivering webinars Since announcing our exciting entry into technology, that dedicated to highlighting the importance of the Canadian market in March 2021, many good eye health and raising awareness of significant milestones have been met, and will help to secure various eye conditions such as glaucoma. fantastic achievements realised, enabling Our store team in Woodgrove, Canada. long-term us to deliver our renowned care and value We also commissioned the 2021 State of the to even more people. UK’s Eye Health report looking at the impact sustainability Covid-19 has had on the nation’s eye health. At the start of 2022, we began running With such huge success, plans are fully During the pandemic, all services were initially a series of engagement sessions to bring our of patient- redirected, understandably, to care for partnership model to life for Canadian optical underway to open 200 more partner-owned stores across the country by 2024 with centred care. critically ill patients. As a result, NHS elective eye appointments were cancelled. The report practitioners and experienced retailers. This kickstarted our recruitment with more than ambitions to become the market leader, an investment expected to create more than reveals that there was a 4.3 million drop in 350 attendees registering their interest in 2,000 local jobs. Giles Edmonds the number of eye tests conducted in 2020, becoming a Specsavers partner. UK Optometry Director referrals to hospital eye services decreased But it’s not all about Canada, of course. by 28% during March to December 2020, and We now have 17 businesses in British Columbia, This year, across our markets, we enhanced almost 3,000 people are estimated to have lost a combination of acquired and re-branded our accessibility and availability for customers their sight due to delayed identification and Image Optometry outlets and our own, brand- by opening over 90 new stores and expanding As a business, we were instrumental in treatment of eye health conditions. new Specsavers stores. or relocating 100 others, providing more than establishing this process three years ago when 1,500 jobs. This is set to continue next year we committed to contribute A$1m annually Thankfully, key groups from across the UK, From the outset, Canadian customers loved our to reflect strong demand and partner for five years. While data on improved health including Specsavers, are working together presence and offer as we pledged to make a confidence, with plans for at least 100 new outcomes and prevented vision loss is not to tackle the backlog of patients and reduce real difference by changing lives. Our modern optical and audiology businesses across our expected to emerge for another few years, waiting times. Our business has invested £45 and inviting stores, all fully equipped with the existing regions, all fitted out to the our optometrists have submitted more than million to bring world-class optical latest optical technology, continue to trade highest specification. eye test technology, OCT, to our stores. significantly above expected forecasts, This technology, previously only available growing by 67% on pre-rebrand levels and in hospital ophthalmology departments, regularly achieving record sales weeks. Focus on frames has transformed our evaluation of To help make Specsavers a household name Offering our customers unbeatable choice a customer’s overall eye health. across British Columbia, we launched and value means we are continually investing a multi-million-dollar marketing campaign, in frame design and development. This year That’s Specsavers Love, created specifically was no different as we introduced exciting Reaching more customers for the Canadian market. It was an instant new ranges, trends and technology, selling Our investment in the Specsavers brand over hit, being seen and heard on media platforms more than 22.1 million glasses worldwide the last 40 years continues to successfully across the province. - a 24% increase on 2020/21. 15
16 With an ever-increasing focus on waste We boosted our fashion credentials through our eyes are having to work harder than ever. reduction and sustainability we introduced a partnership with iconic luxury brand Liberty The global rollout of SuperReaders 1-2-3, which ReWear, our environmentally-conscious range to create a unique eyewear collection. The 19 takes traditional reading glasses to the next partially made from recycled, post-consumer different styles combine Liberty’s signature level, was met with great success. The ‘1-2-3’ plastic waste. This quickly proved popular heritage-inspired designs with vibrant prints represents the different distances available, with our customers, selling more than 5,000 and launched exclusively to Specsavers with vision for one, two, and three metres frames per week. Following a successful trial with huge global success, especially the four away, so are ideal for customers who need launch in Northern Europe, our new bio-acetate children’s styles which saw sales outperform to regularly switch between close-up and collection called Luxe will be available globally forecast by 63%. intermediate-distance tasks. Wide zones within as part of our commitment to increase our use the lens provide clear and comfortable vision Another exclusive global eyewear launch was of bio-based raw materials. This will reduce Listening to feedback from our customers at each distance, negating the need to keep the result of an exciting collaboration with our reliance on non-renewable resources and and in-store teams is an important part of our a different pair of glasses perched on your Vivienne Westwood. The collection, which takes means frames will biodegrade more quickly approach to frame development. We regularly nose, always swapping specs, or constantly inspiration from Westwood’s use of tartan, at the end of their economic life. review and adjust our product mix to satisfy moving your head to find the desired iconic orb design, and rococo details proved consumer preferences and eyewear trends. vision spot. Later this year, we’ll also be launching our new an instant hit for customers, with the tartan ECO frame cases, designed to further minimise sunglasses being particularly popular. And, as part of a continued global focus With growing demand in the contact lens our impact on the planet. on ensuring our in-house collections are In addition to introducing new styles, we market, focus in this area continues as prominent as possible and complement our to be important for us, so we re-vamped our refreshed 30% of our existing ranges including great selection of well-known designer brands, trusted and exclusive easyvision range with best-selling brands Converse, Tommy Hilfiger, we increased our own product volumes a completely new look and feel. Our easyvision An iconic tartan frame from HUGO and MARC JACOBS, leading to double- to account for 64% of our overall portfolio. contact lenses are hugely popular with our Vivienne Westwood collection. digit volume growth. customers as they offer uncompromised comfort, using the very best technology and Progress in lenses materials, at outstanding value. As a first for Our ongoing commitment to enhance our our newest market, we launched the design global ophthalmic lens portfolio saw volume in Canada initially with Europe, Australia, growth across all our regions: varifocals grew and New Zealand soon to follow. by 11% in the UK alone and sales of high-index (thinner, lighter lenses for those with strong As the number of children with short- optical prescriptions) increased by 21% globally. sightedness increases, so does the scientific research into how progression of short- During 2021/22, we refreshed our varifocal offer sightedness might be slowed down. We are by upgrading existing designs and introducing keen to help our customers gain access new, technologically advanced products to the latest products as they come to market, such as Intro-HD, available in a wide range which is why we began to offer MiSight® 1 day of materials at excellent value. contact lenses for children in more than 200 stores in Australia. These lenses may help slow Our Canadian market was the first to offer down the progression of myopia, as well SuperBoost to customers, a lens designed as offering children all the benefits to give wearers a boost to their vision of wearing single-use disposable by relieving visual fatigue. contact lenses. For many of us, using digital screens Having friendly, knowledgeable conversations is a significant part of our daily life, meaning with customers about their lifestyle 17
18 enables our store teams to make informed thirds of our Australian stores and in more Designing world-class stores screens within window displays and elsewhere recommendations based on their specific than half of our New Zealand stores. in store to help with messaging to customers. requirements. Contact Lenses for Life was As we operate in an ever-changing retail and Delivering the audiology products and services competitor landscape, we continually evolve We care about how we make our customers introduced as a brand-new way of structuring our customers need is essential. During the UK’s our stores to ensure the very best environment feel, and so we revolutionised the experience our product range with consumer needs first national lockdown in response to Covid-19, for our customers, partners, and colleagues. of trialling contact lenses. Appreciating that at the heart. Helping even more customers we led the way in innovative digital support trying to fit contact lenses for the first time can to understand that not all contact lenses are when we provided a remote fine-tuning Significant, ongoing investment in both design be daunting, especially in an open, busy store the same and communicating the various service. Our audiologists could stay in contact and technology means we can accommodate environment, we introduced all-new fixturing benefits and technological innovations, means with customers and adjust their hearing aids, rising customer volumes, increase efficiency, to create designated and secluded areas, we can delight with products that are tailored via a smartphone, without the need and ensure we are fully equipped to offer giving customers space, comfort and privacy. to suit their individual needs. to leave home. world-class services and care. Last year, as well as revamping the overall look and feel We also agreed a quick repair service with across many of our stores globally, we made our largest hearing aid supplier to reduce innovative improvements to our product Enhancements across turnaround times on both standard and displays and clinical environments. our supply chain customised products, meaning our customers are inconvenienced as little as possible. This not only involved a new approach to frame Ensuring our supply chain advances in line with merchandising in all our markets with the our ever-growing business is vital in order To enhance the Specsavers Advance product to maintain the very best service to our provision of state-of-the-art illuminated frame portfolio, our own collection of digital partners and customers. display units, but also the roll-out of new digital hearing aids made exclusively for us by well- known hearing brands, we launched the new Specsavers Advance 19 and 71 ranges, alongside Phonak Audéo™ Paradise and Signia AX. Our new store in Coquitlam, Canada. Using the latest technology and great new features to assist with hearing speech, customers can also personalise their listening experience using a smartphone, and stream phone calls, TV programmes, and films straight Advancements in audiology to their hearing aids. Our audiology business, available in the UK, We were also delighted to introduce Signia Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Australia Active and Active Pro hearing aids to our and New Zealand, enjoyed another successful customers. A fashionable alternative to classic year as our customers benefited from the hearing aids, these Signia products offer an highest-quality hearing care products and award-winning earbud-style design without services. Dispensing more than 530,000 compromising functionality. hearing aids globally, represented a 63% Offering sustainable solutions for our volume growth on 2020/21, and a 20% customers is also critical. To reduce the reliance increase compared to pre-pandemic levels. on single-use batteries, rechargeable hearing Fuelling this growth, we made audiology aids are now provided to more than eight services available in a further 65 stores across in every 10 customers when a rechargeable Australia and New Zealand, meaning customers model is available in the range and can now access best-value hearing care in two style requested. 19
20 Each week, our 11 manufacturing and our full portfolio to customers in Canada card to Sarah, our Optometry Partner distribution sites across the globe produce meaning they can enjoy the value and variety at the Clarkson store in Western Australia. more than 450,000 lenses, glaze more than that Specsavers offers – with an appropriate Her young daughter visited us for an eye 250,000 pairs of glasses, and dispatch hundreds of thousands of contact lenses, ophthalmic product range and meeting local regulatory requirements. Positive and test and to choose new glasses, but Sarah discovered optic nerve changes that required lenses, and frames to our stores all over the world. To support both global and regional growth, friendly staff who urgent referral. Our sites grew their capacity by 25% last year we invested in the construction of a new, joint-venture manufacturing site in Zhuhai, helped change Thanks to Sarah’s clinical expertise and great care, the child received treatment for elevated through the introduction of new technologies, improved processes, and increased efficiencies, southern China. Century Optic is an impressive, purpose-built facility designed specifically and customise intracranial pressure. The customer was eternally grateful for our sight-saving, and enabling our partners and store teams to exceed customer expectations every day. to accommodate our manufacturing processes and equipment. The site totals 40,000m2 my lenses after the indeed lifesaving, care. Throughout the pandemic, our supply chain over six floors as well as an adjacent 8,000m2 dormitory building, offering the ones I initially tried teams worked tirelessly with our manufacturing and logistics partners to secure the continued extra production capacity needed to meet didn’t suit my needs. increasing demands. transportation of goods and contingency of supplies. As global prices rose and supplies The most important were constrained, we managed to maintain thing for her was stock levels and stabilised prices, ensuring continued service with minimal disruption The value of feedback that I was happy. to our customers. Hearing directly from our customers A customer at our Gulskogen A crucial focus for us last year was to secure continues to be an invaluable part of our store in Norway partnerships and establish supply routes business. Over the past year, our global to serve our Canadian market. We can offer customer feedback system provided us with 1.4 million responses – all of which are used Or like hearing from Debora Krut, (above right), by our teams to improve every day. The scores In recognition of our outstanding service, who, as a busy university student, thought her we received were fantastic across our regions; we received a multitude of awards last year. sore neck, nausea, and vertigo were stress- for example, 93% of our Northern European In Denmark, we were ranked number one related but, when she also developed double customers said that their experience with in insights agency Wilke’s Best Customer vision, she called the hospital. Understandably, our colleagues was either good or excellent. Experience category and named the Best Retail the hospital couldn’t see her immediately, Chain in the Netherlands in the Hearing so she made an appointment at our Oxford In the UK, Republic of Ireland, and Spain, Care Professional category for the fourth store in the UK. Our optometrist, Ciara Ní we launched ‘Smiles’: a simplified service time during the annual ABN AMRO Retailer Chléirigh, spotted a swelling on Debora’s optic philosophy designed to focus on the key of the Year Awards. Reader’s Digest magazine nerve which is usually caused by a pressure impact we try to achieve with every customer. crowned us as one of Australia and New increase around the brain. Zealand’s Most Trusted Brands for 2021 in Our smiles, along with our care, compassion, She referred Debora to hospital straight away the highly competitive Optometrist category. and advice when helping customers with their where tests later that day confirmed she had eye health or hearing care, really do go a long Although these accolades bring us great a brain tumour. Debora had surgery to remove way and our store teams take pride in doing pride, it is the human stories behind such the tumour followed by proton beam therapy. what they do best with a smile. Since launch, achievements that really inspire us to go She is now telling everyone to make sure they Century Optic, our new joint-venture 90% of customers in the UK told us they left the extra mile. For example, when a patient’s get their eyes tested as it could also save manufacturing site in Zhuhai, China. a Specsavers store with a smile on their face. mother sent a heart-warming thank-you their life. 21
22 Our people Focusing on diversity and inclusion Broadening and strengthening our approach to diversity and inclusion involves working to cultivate an environment that respects and values difference, and where our people feel they can be themselves at work. Over the past 12 months, we have introduced diversity and inclusion forums in all our regions Our membership, and supported the creation of four colleague network groups: (of Diversity • PRISM for LGBTQIA+ colleagues globally in Retail), will help • MenoTalk – a menopause support group us to explore, grow, • Empowered Together – focused on ensuring and understand we celebrate women in our business • EmbRACE for black and ethnic minority We wouldn’t be who we are today without more about how colleagues and their allies. our people. We strive to ensure that Specsavers is a place where everyone is proud we can ensure our We also joined forces with Diversity in Retail to belong: from those who work in our global in the UK, an organisation devoted to increasing support offices and supply chain sites to our culture embraces diversity and inclusion across the retail sector. the different views optical, audiology and domiciliary partners Being a member of this community offers and colleagues changing lives on a daily basis. a unique opportunity for us to gain a broader The passion and contribution of more than and thinking of perspective, enhance our commitment to diversity, and be as inclusive as possible. Being the place 45,000 colleagues and partners across the globe make Specsavers a truly special place. a diverse workforce. Our 2021 gender pay gap report highlighted we are all proud We place much focus on helping everyone that the number of women in senior roles has to feel valued, cared for, and supported John Perkins increased to 31% compared to 26% in 2019 to belong. in achieving their full potential. Group CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer within our UK support operation. 23
24 Caring about wellbeing Creating a great place to work Great Place to Work status was also accredited receive from their RST is among the most to our ANZ region, with 84% of our store important, valued, and effective service We are passionate about supporting our Our partners, store teams and support office and support office colleagues in Australia of the business model. people to be the best they can be, helping them colleagues across Northern Europe were invited and 81% of those in New Zealand stating that to maintain positive mental and physical health. to take part in a Great Place to Work® (GPTW) Specsavers is a great place to work. Working with internal colleagues and external survey for the fourth time. Each year, GPTW suppliers, we provide a blend of learning Through our wellbeing offer, our colleagues conducts employee surveys for more interventions via virtual workshops, have access to a wide range of services than 10,000 workplaces globally, all aiming online content, podcasts, and videos including: Nurturing our partnership to support our partners with their personal to be awarded the well-known accreditation. Our success is undoubtedly down to the development, the engagement of their teams • WeCare, an employee assistance programme We had incredible success as Specsavers was strength of our partnership. Providing and the growth of their businesses. Last year, crowned Sweden’s Best Workplace for 2022 we launched our re-vamped partner induction • Mental health services via medical insurance exceptional support to our partners enables in the large companies’ category: in the UK which involves attending virtual them to focus on what they do best • A fully trained group of mental health an achievement made particularly impressive sessions to help build their business knowledge – changing lives by inspiring their teams first aiders considering we were in ninth place in 2021. and support networks, with more than 120 and caring for our customers. We were also delighted that Louis Nielsen, partners from optics, audiology • Online GP advice available at any time our Danish business, was ranked as the Across each of our regions, our Retail Support and domiciliary taking part. and from anywhere. second-best workplace in Denmark and proud Teams (RST) are at the vanguard of helping to be titled as Europe’s 11th best place We continued to recognise and engage aspiring our partners put in place plans to develop their Our regional teams also run regular wellbeing partners through Specsavers Pathway, to work overall. businesses. We have continued to invest heavily events locally such as a ‘The Way We Feel’ week our in-house development programme which in this critical area, with specialisms in HR, in Australia and quarterly wellness sessions supports our internal pipeline across every change management, audiology, contact lenses, across our manufacturing and distribution region. Last year resulted in 255 Pathway customer service, and clinical advancement sites. The focus here, and indeed for all our graduates globally. Each region’s ‘Green Room’ to support every partner and enable the wellness activities, is on a holistic approach: enables us to provide ongoing training and sharing of ideas and best practice across understanding that wellbeing is not only support to approved partners, ensuring they all stores. Our results, particularly from a recent concerned with mental or physical health but can also relate to financial and social influences. Being recognised survey in Australia and New Zealand, indicate how well this is working with the majority are ready for formal appointment into the partnership when opportunities Following its success in our Northern European as a Great Place to of partners stating that the support they become available. Engaging and developing our partners ensures region, we launched Headspace, a mindfulness and meditation app, for all partners and Work® is testament they are equipped to lead thriving, sustainable to the positive colleagues globally. We saw almost 5,000 businesses, whatever the future brings. registrations in the first month and we’re Following its huge success in Australia and New offering interactive webinars in partnership with Headspace to help colleagues environment we Zealand, we launched Specsavers 7, our highly regarded leadership development programme maintain their wellbeing. consistently strive for partners, across Northern Europe. The programme brings together proven We also created the new role of Wellbeing and Inclusion Leads, responsible for our global for at Specsavers characteristics of high-performing business leaders with unique elements of Specsavers’ approach. Working with colleagues across across Australia partnership model. The result is a focus on, the business, including those in our network and support in, seven skills that we believe all groups, to ensure we continue to focus and New Zealand. Specsavers leaders need to demonstrate on wellbeing in the right way and fully in order to be world-class at what they do. embrace our ambition to create a more Paul Bott We also started plans to bring Specsavers 7 diverse and inclusive environment for all. Managing Director (ANZ) to all UK partners during 2022. 25
26 Annual seminars have always been development, providing a safe space to learn, Opposite page: ANZ partners celebrating at an end-of-year event. an important part of the Specsavers calendar fail, stretch and prosper. Creating and investing when partners and support teams come in opportunities for everyone to realise their This page: Partners in Norway at the annual seminar. together to celebrate achievements and look full potential while feeling valued and inspired ahead to future business plans. The pandemic will ensure we attract and retain the best obviously meant that face-to-face events were people to meet the needs of our business put on hold as we faced an uncertain period today, and in the future. with continuously changing restrictions. We offer a huge variety of career paths Despite this, we found new ways to keep at Specsavers: whether you’re an optical everyone in the partnership connected, assistant in store, leading a team of warehouse designed to respond to the needs of each operatives, working as part of our innovative, region; seminars moved online, we introduced digital technology function, or travelling virtual breakfast sessions, and regular around the country in a field-based role. entertainment events were broadcast digitally. We are committed to ensuring that extensive and fulfilling careers are accessible for all. With the lifting of restrictions across many of our regions in early 2022, we recommenced We introduced monthly ‘See your career in-person communication meetings and at Specsavers’ features in the UK, highlighting seminars. These gave our partners and support the many individuals from across our support office colleagues the chance to reconnect after offices and manufacturing and distribution almost two years, sharing their passion and sites who wanted to share stories about their Specsavers stories face-to-face once again. career journey with us so far. Not only do these showcase the diversity of careers on offer, but they also shine a light on the Supporting and developing learning and development opportunities our teams available to help every partner and colleague be the best they can be. This often To continue being recognised as a great place involves embracing opportunities outside to work and achieve our long-term goals, of their specialism or exciting our focus must be on our people and their geographical secondments. In Australia, we held a careers information week for our support office colleagues. A series of interactive virtual sessions provided teams with the options, skills, and confidence to proactively plan their internal career progression. In the UK, 2021 saw the launch of our New Talent Programme which provides people in the early stages of their career, or those looking for a change, with the support and skills they need to succeed. During the programme, participants experience different roles through 27
28 two six-month placements in our support Supporting our store teams to become skilled offices. They gain a comprehensive insight and confident experts in their field is vital into everything we do and have countless to ensure they can continue to make opportunities to expand and strengthen their skillset. By encouraging all those involved This programme a positive difference to our customers’ lives. Key to achieving this is the investment to continually expand their capability, see new taught me how in our digital training platforms, the network possibilities, and discover their true potential, of regional trainers across all our markets, we can help them find, and get fast-tracked to think more as well as having in-store trainers in every strategically and onto, the most suitable career path. location who inspire and encourage our store colleagues every day. This was so successful that we expanded it to participants in Australia and New Zealand. use an out-of-the- Our online learning management system, We then launched our largest ever iLearn, was upgraded in the UK with multi-channel recruitment campaign box approach improvements to make it even more intuitive to attract a further 51 people to join the 2022 programme across the UK, Guernsey, when searching and accessible from multiple devices. Optical, audiology, domiciliary and contact lens modules leaders of the future, an important step and Northern Europe. This was open to internal colleagues from our stores, for solutions. were brought together into one learning journey instead of separate focuses and the in safeguarding our internal pipeline. Newmedica business, manufacturing and introduction of levels demonstrated career To help get our new recruits in audiology off Joyce ten Broeke distribution sites, and support offices paths and core performance for roles within to a great start, we provided a new specialised Lead CRM Manager in the Netherlands as well as external applicants. retail teams, clinical professions and ultimately induction, called Ready to Serve, to our hearing partnership. The enhancements were a huge aid dispensers in the UK. Ready to Serve offers Our global Grow Our Own programme success with 91% of colleagues logging in and supported 81 high-potential colleagues to grow teams in preparation for more trading-led flexibility to inductees with a range of engaging more than three million page views post launch. learning solutions from virtual sessions the capabilities required to take on a more career paths. Through a mix of masterclasses senior or broader role in the future. In addition and online learning sessions, delegates focus Such foundations ensure access to ongoing to on-the-job activities. to learning as a group in key areas, we help on increasing their knowledge of customer training, but also to support specific initiatives. participants to personalise their development, insights, supplier management, and trading For instance, in Northern Europe, we developed Professional development creating a unique learning journey suited strategy while being mentored by senior a suite of new materials for our in-store to their needs. leaders with experience of trading trainers and delivered bespoke training Specsavers’ Professional Advancement director positions. to assist with the roll-out of optical coherence Conferences (PAC) have been delivering A new 12-month Trading Mindset programme tomography (OCT) in our Norwegian stores. world-class clinical education and professional was designed to broaden the experience More than 90 colleagues from across development to optical practitioners for the and skillset of a group of leaders from across our regional marketing teams took part We also developed more than 90 bite-size past 27 years, and to audiology clinicians our UK, Northern Europe and supply chain in a global development programme to ensure sessions covering all aspects of the new since 2011. we deliver first-class customer experience and equipment (which enables our optometrists communication. Participants attended virtual to identify early signs of certain conditions As one of the UK’s largest multi-category workshops about upskilling in priority areas, using non-invasive diagnostic imaging), clinical conferences, our PACs have attracted followed by a practical case study, working all available remotely via our GreenPoint industry-renowned expert speakers from together to identify and present innovative learning platform to bolster the across the world and have continued to solutions. Development in this area not classroom training. innovate with the introduction of practical only built consistency in modern workshops, exhibition spaces and large-scale marketing expertise across our teams, We launched our Management Ascent peer discussion sessions, delivering tens but also led to stronger internal networks, programme for store managers in Australia of thousands of CET (continuing education greater collaboration, and enhanced and New Zealand, designed to equip them with and training) points and CPD (continuing career paths. everything they need to be highly skilled retail professional development) opportunities. 29
30 In 2021, we delivered a hugely successful series At the start of 2022 the UK’s General Optical New Zealand, welcoming more students and five international students in 2021, of web-based events, having moved online Council replaced CET with a new CPD scheme. into our stores than any other company. as well as a Bachelor of Vision Science degree in 2020 due to the pandemic. Around 2,000 Our Professional Development team worked Having representatives on advisory groups at the University of Canberra, that will optics delegates in the UK attended our PAC, tirelessly to make this transition as smooth also means we can provide opportunities welcome its first cohort mid-2022. with peer discussion sessions covering topics as possible and launched a helpful new CPD to maintain close relationships between We recruited record numbers of graduate from cataracts to contact lenses, resulting online dashboard. universities, employers, and professional optometrists, pre-reg optometrists and in the provision of more than 12,000 CET points. bodies, strengthening the interface between The tenth UK PAC for audiology practitioners trainee audiologists into our stores across academic study and optometric practice. In Northern Europe, 2,200 industry was by far the biggest yet, with more than every region, with more than 750 joining professionals attended virtual talks, 700 delegates. February 2022 also saw the one of our exciting development To help mitigate a forecasted shortage panel discussions and masterclasses delivered introduction of short, monthly webinars hosted or graduate programmes. of graduate optometrists in Australia, by 32 speakers from six different countries, by a variety of industry professionals we forged new partnerships with optometry We also began a clinical leadership a formula we continue to use in Australia in response to requests for more regular, schools. Specsavers supported the programme in the UK aimed at developing and New Zealand, where our clinical bite-sized CPD opportunities. development of a new Doctor of Optometry our optometrists with five or more years’ conferences were virtually attended degree at the University of Western Australia experience to become our future Viewpoint, our online learning platform for by 1,300 delegates. which offered placements to 55 domestic clinical leaders. optometrists in Northern Europe, generated Feedback from delegates across all regions 2,800 subscribers last year. It also serves was positive, including many clinicians external as a community, where members can access to Specsavers seeing our PAC events various events and an ever-growing library Panel discussion filming for our 2021 as a hallmark for quality professional of practical knowledge created in collaboration Clinical Conference in Northern Europe. development, valuing the opportunity with industry experts. for in-depth clinical discussion with other experts. Learning from the success of our Clinical Performance Consultants in Australia and New Zealand, we introduced a team of Clinical Engagement Managers (CEMs) into the UK and Republic of Ireland. CEMs directly support partners by applying their ‘I’m not a Specsavers wide range of professional experience to help our clinical colleagues with their development. employee but Through coaching, sharing best practice, and the adoption of new clinical processes, welcomed the our clinicians and CEMs work together build fulfilling careers alongside delivering even opportunity to join better health outcomes for our customers. the PAC events Working with the Karolinska Institute and gain a valuable in Stockholm, we created materials to further develop the role of clinical assistant in support insight as well as get of our aim to recruit 100 clinical assistants a year into our Swedish stores over the my CET points.’ next three years. We continue to be the largest clinical PAC attendee placement provider across Australia and 31
32 Sustainably Protecting our planet making a difference Our position We are committed to taking responsibility for the impact our business has on the planet As a privately-owned, partnership and have adopted a risk-based approach business, we have a unique perspective to understanding, minimising, and mitigating this impact. This is conducted in line with our We aim to be carbon focused on a long-term duty to make values and the responsibilities we have to our customers and our people, as well as our net zero, starting a genuine difference to those obligations in the countries in which we operate. with achieving in our communities. Our environmental programme is an important climate positive element of our sustainability approach because both global and local environmental issues can status by 2035. have a wide-reaching and long-term effect on our society, now and in the future. We recognise that the consumption of energy, We plan to do this by: the use of non-renewable resources, water, on the world around us, has grown since plastics and packaging, and waste creation are Reviewing our product offer and we began almost 40 years ago. all things we need to monitor and reduce in manufacturing processes – looking at the every part of our business. materials we use, the way they are produced, We are challenging ourselves to further where they come from, and how they get to us. improve the role we play in the lives of the Our aim is to ensure all the plastics we use are people we work with, the communities we Our plans sustainable by eliminating problematic materials serve and the planet we all share. We have set We aim to be carbon net zero, starting with or, where that is not possible, substituting or ourselves some strong targets in these key achieving climate positive status (taking out reducing their use. areas to ensure we are making a meaningful more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than A home visit as part of our domiciliary service. difference today, and for the future. Reducing our carbon emissions – those we we put in) by 2035. directly control through our operations as well We recognise the passion and enthusiasm as those in our supply chain. During 2022/23, that our people around the world have in this we will focus on better understanding our area, meaning our plans and related activity carbon baseline and where we need to make Making this difference starts with us, are very much a collective effort. To help necessary changes, setting out detailed carbon supporting our colleagues, partners, and us deliver our sustainability targets, targets and planning our journey towards suppliers to change lives in a sustainable way. we appointed our CEO John Perkins as Chief a net zero future. Sustainability Officer, introduced dedicated Over the past 12 months, we have reviewed our roles focused on sustainability, and established sustainability approach, acknowledging how governance with both global and regional ReWear: our environmentally conscious range partially much our business, and therefore our impact sustainability committees. made from recycled, post-consumer plastic waste. 33
34 Reducing our packaging – not only on our Commissioning an independent audit of We are passionate about giving back products, but also the materials used to packaging used within our supply chain and to and working with our local communities, transit our products across the world, without store operations to provide a baseline wherever in the world we operate. We support compromising the quality. of where we are today and identify areas many local, national, and international causes, for improvement. and are committed to supporting eyecare and Understanding the types of waste we create hearing care projects in developing countries. - identifying where we can reuse or recycle by changing how we operate and eliminating We also want to help those in our communities materials that typically end up in landfill. Supporting our who might not otherwise be able to access sight and hearing care services. This includes Introducing water efficient technologies - to limit the amount of waste water we produce. local communities providing broader access, increasing awareness of prevention, and early detection support. We are proud to generate significant tax Our progress Our position revenues for each of the countries in which In 2021/22, our activity included: We take our responsibilities as a global business we operate. In the year ending 28 February very seriously, particularly in relation to: 2022, Specsavers, its businesses, and its Making progress towards our zero waste to partners paid £334m in various taxes directly landfill target with 75% of our UK production • The people we employ (covered in attributable to them. In total, £801m waste now diverted from landfill. ‘Our people’ section) of taxes were generated and collected for • The communities we support the governments of the countries in which Launching ReWear, our first nature-inspired those businesses operated. Full details of our range partially made from recycled, post- Volunteers from our stores in Norway supporting • The financial contributions we make. tax strategy are available on our website. at an eye camp in Tanzania. consumer plastic waste. With each frame containing five plastic bottles, our customers Our stores provide employment for more than can choose a more environmentally conscious 35,900 local people, all of whom have access Our plans frame. to regular training and development, helping Improve prevention and early detection them to progress through Specsavers on their We will: Working with our audiology supply partners awareness. While we already offer hospital- chosen career path. The same is true for to reduce our carbon footprint through more Enhance access to care. We believe this is grade scanning technologies in our stores, our the 4,500+ people who are employed efficient quantities of hearing aid batteries, a right, not a privilege. By extending our optical next step is to raise awareness of eye and ear in our support offices and manufacturing resulting in fewer shipments. and audiology care network through strategic health challenges by better informing people and distribution sites around the world. partnerships, outreach services, and our about conditions such as glaucoma and Introducing a new binaural order and growing domiciliary provision, we aim macular degeneration. fulfilment structure to reduce the use of to reach even more people. plastic cases across our audiology products. Colleagues from our Great Dunmow store in the UK Increase donations and sponsorship. presenting our donation to St Clare Hospice. We will continue to support many charities and Completing all carbon baseline activity good causes as well as giving our colleagues across our Newmedica business and opportunities to help through our volunteering appointing a Sustainability Lead to work scheme. We will also be offering our products with a new governance group on reducing and services free of charge to those who carbon emissions. need it most. Controlling energy consumption by fitting the Offer more opportunities for our people latest LED lighting in all our new, relocated, to make a positive difference. Support our and refurbished stores across retail, clinical, colleagues with finding new ways to give back and back-office areas. to their local communities. 35
36 Our progress with local health authorities as a means of preventing cataracts. In March 2022, as In 2021/22, our activity included: restrictions were reduced, volunteers from our stores travelled to Tanzania where they The UK and the Republic of Ireland conducted 1,050 eye tests and prescribed more Our stores and support office colleagues than 1,500 pairs of glasses to people in need. raised more than £1.2 million for various charities and good causes, including £500,000 Australia and New Zealand for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal We donated A$1,442,000 to various through a partnership with the British charities and good causes. Red Cross. During the height of the pandemic our stores We donated A$847,970 to The Fred Hollows donated £150,000 to British Asian Trust’s Foundation including A$175,050 from the Oxygen for India appeal. sale of our limited-edition frame. Our funding helped to support two indigenous eye health In Scotland, more than £73,000 was raised programmes: the Outback Eye Service which for the premature baby charity Bliss, to buy provides ophthalmology services to rural a PanoCam for the Simpson Neonatal Unit and remote areas of New South Wales Witnessing the big in Edinburgh. and the Lions Outback Vision programme in Western Australia. Together, these Our colleagues and partners in the Republic difference a pair of Ireland raised over €70,000 for The Hope programmes trained 254 eyecare workers, conducted almost 337 telehealth consultations, of glasses can make Foundation, helping people in Kolkata, India, and performed over 820 eye operations to receive eyecare. Specsavers has also and treatments. will stay with me committed to fund the education of eight students undertaking an Optometry Through our donation of NZ$138,751 to The forever. The smile Diploma course. Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand, we supported the Mobile Eye Clinic in Fiji to on people’s faces Northern Europe deliver 3,110 eye health consultations, perform Across Northern Europe, we raised more 251 surgeries, and dispense 1,851 pairs of glasses. and the tears of joy than €300,000 for various charities and good Our store teams in New Zealand conducted when they received causes including Synlinjen in Sweden and The Salvation Army in the Netherlands. more than 53,500 free eye tests to children as part of our Kids Go Free programme. something to really In Denmark, we signed an agreement with We continued to support outreach improve their lives Dansk Folkehjælp, which provides emergency aid and long-term assistance to vulnerable programmes as 13 of our optometrists delivered virtual tutorials for postgraduate was very special groups, to support disadvantaged people with access to free eye tests and glasses. students working towards a diploma in eye health. The students travel from all to see. We continued to support the Give Sight over the Pacific to either Fiji or Papua New in Tanzania project during the pandemic Guinea to train for a year before returning Trine Johnsen when travel was restricted. Our store teams home with the knowledge and tools required Head of Professional Advancement in Norway sent 1,000 pairs of sunglasses to to provide eyecare services for their Norway Zanzibar which were distributed in cooperation local communities. 37
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