News

Big W Vision Budget Expansion
By mivision
June 1, 2008

Retail giant Woolworths has entered the budget dispensing business in a big way through its Big W stores nationwide. The retailer recently announced that Big W Vision would extend its store network in Brisbane by adding another three stores this month and it intends to launch its first Melbourne store later this year.

 According to its media release, Big W says: "Victoria will be the next state that Big W Vision expands into, with the Doncaster store the first to incorporate optometry services mid year". It made no mention of New South Wales, Western Australia or Tasmania. Woolies says the new Big W Vision Brisbane outlets will be located at Stafford, Morayfield and Springfield scheduled for completion at the end of June and has two more sites in Brisbane under consideration, which would bring the number of Queensland outlets to nine.

Big W launched its first full service optometry centres in Adelaide stores at Cumberland Park and Elizabeth and Colonnades a couple of years ago. In November 2007, Big W Vision entered the Queensland market, opening outlets in Capalaba, Chermside, Strathpine and Carindale. A spokesperson for the company stated that Big W Vision offers "in-store eye testing and the fulfilment of optical prescriptions for contact lenses, glasses and prescription sunglasses using the most advanced lens casting technology available" and that the majority of lenses will be produced on site using "the most advanced, state of the art lens casting technology". The company says it is offering eye testing seven days a week and is staffed full-time with optometrists and optical specialists undertaking eye testing and diagnosis, filling prescriptions, dispensing glasses and recommending styles to suit individual face shapes.

It is haling Big W Vision as "an evolution of the optical industry and is the first discount department retailer in Australia to create a value, quality and a technologically advanced optical service format".