Blankstone Opticians opened for business in 1992 and has witnessed the resurgence in the city’s fortunes along with the accompanying wealth creation…from urban living in the mid-90s to the present day where (thankfully), some customers buy specs and sunglasses from us like they buy shoes.

The world of optics is a very different place too. The quality threshold all around has improved markedly and we’ve been at the forefront of the industry ruffling a few feathers as a proud, noisy independent!

For example, our recent media campaign educated the public on the health, safety and frequency of check ups required for contact lens wearers highlighting what the multiples don’t tell you.

We’ve also introduced a complementary hearing service and, have invested a substantial five figure sum in world leading technology to help identify potentially serious eye conditions.

We’ve spent a great deal of time and money too, via Europe over the last two and a half decades, continuously seeking products that are substantially higher in quality.

As a result, we now have approaching ten brands on our books that are household names in luxury lifestyle and we are the only store in Liverpool to have these brands…some are exclusive to the North West of England. For example, we are one of only three suppliers in the UK authorised to sell Chanel!

We regularly get feedback at Blankstone Opticians that our technology and innovation, affordability and flexible (i.e. longer!) working hours means the products and service received match those of their favourite other shopping destinations, stores and showrooms.

To be fair, we’ve won some great awards for our customer service but it’s about constantly improving…the awards are just part of the extensive amount of time we spend helping customers identify us as much more than just a place to get their eyes checked out.

It’s a necessity really because the competition has grown and there are 25% more dispensing opticians out there in the UK market now than compared with the 90s. That has affected us because of our reach but it’s all positive…we now attract customers within a 100 mile radius these days!

We’ve built up a good reputation for being discreet in our approach to helping customers whether it’s a member of the public or the many office-based businesses we supply our services too for e.g. VDU health checks.

It’s definitely the secret of our success.

We are also a big fan of affinity partnerships with other local businesses and our location in the business district coupled with being close to Liverpool One has really complemented our growth. I guess we got a touch lucky there! Lots of new restaurants opening on Castle Street with al fresco dining is also helping our business. Such an activity requires the most desirable sunglasses to be seen in… just view our latest collections for help with that!