CALGARY, Alberta—Specsavers, the optometrist-owned and led optical retail business, said Wednesday that it will invest $25 million to expand operations in Alberta, Canada. This investment, which will contribute to the opening of 50 high-tech optometry clinics and optical stores in the province by 2024, will create over 750 essential service jobs, and is aimed at the goal of “improving Albertans' eye health and reducing preventable blindness,” the announcement stated. The $25 million investment and entry into Alberta announced Wednesday is part of Specsavers’ previously announced $100 million investment plan for Canada, as VMAIL reported. Specsavers said at that time that it intended to open 200 locations across Canada.

In Alberta, the multi-million-dollar investment into the province will cover “100 percent of location start-up costs for optometrists and opticians who become Specsavers business owners,” the announcement noted. All optometry clinics and optical stores will be locally owned, creating new jobs and allowing owners to focus on the specific needs of their community.
 
“Specsavers' investment into Alberta aligns with our purpose of changing lives through better sight," said Bill Moir, general manager, Specsavers Canada. "Seventy-five percent of vision loss can be prevented or successfully treated just by improving access to eyecare services. With Specsavers' global scale, we are able to lower the cost of eyewear for Albertans, which helps remove a main barrier to getting regular eye exams. We also equip local optometrists and opticians with the latest imaging and clinical technology to provide our comprehensive eye exams, which include a 3D eye scan. We make this available to all patients at no additional cost because we've proven this has a measurable impact on the early detection of debilitating health conditions."
 
Moir also noted that Specsavers has had an “overwhelmingly positive response to date in British Columbia,” where it began opening stores late last year.
 
Founded in the U.K. nearly 40 years ago by optometrist husband and wife team Doug and Mary Perkins, there are now more than 2,300 Specsavers locations across 11 countries caring for 41 million patients and customers. As market leaders in all of the countries they operate in, Specsavers delivers style, and function with quality eyewear at an affordable price, while using the most advanced clinical equipment as a standard part of eye examinations.