SCHIPHOL, the Netherlands—GrandVision NV (EURONEXT: GVNV), in a move the company said will enable it to move into the online optical business at a faster pace, has acquired 100 percent of Charlie Temple, the leading online optical retailer in the Benelux, according to an announcement Tuesday. Charlie Temple, which began operating in 2016, has grown to become “the leading online spectacles retailer in the Netherlands and Belgium,” the announcement noted. The online firm’s business model focuses on offering quality spectacles with single-vision and multifocal lenses at competitive prices and next-day delivery, the announcement noted.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Charlie Temple will continue to operate as an independent brand while benefiting from the local and global synergies GrandVision can contribute to its business. Charlie Temple's management team will remain unchanged, headed by founder and chief executive officer Leon Planken, according to the announcement.

GrandVision, which operates ForEyes in the U.S. market, is one of the world’s leading optical retailers, with approximately 7,000 stores and more than 36,000 employees worldwide.

“We are very pleased to team up with Charlie Temple, an exciting and innovative player in the online spectacles segment," GrandVision chief executive officer Stephan Borchert said in the announcement. "This acquisition is an important step in our digital roadmap and will enable us to build a stronger presence in this segment of the online market at a much faster pace.

"Charlie Temple is a logical and highly compatible addition to our existing business in the Benelux and will serve as a platform for international expansion in the pure-play online spectacles segment. Charlie Temple fits perfectly in our commercial strategy of providing high quality eyewear at affordable prices," he added.

Planken noted that Charlie Temple was “excited to have found a great partner.” He added, “The support of an international organization will allow Charlie Temple to accelerate its growth. At the same time, Charlie Temple will continue its business as an independent brand, executing on its existing strategy and preserving its own identity."