VMail, from VisionMonday for October 29, 2001
http://www.visionmonday.com
Rodenstock Moves into Retailing with Purchase of UK Optical Chain

MUNICH, Germany--Rodenstock’s UK subsidiary, Rodenstock UK Ltd., has acquired Allders Opticians, a privately owned retail chain with 15 locations north of London. The move marks the German lens maker’s entry into the retail arena. A Rodenstock statement said, "Unlike Germany and other central European countries, the UK market has a much higher penetration of optical chains and franchises. The takeover secures the future of Allders Opticians as an independent operation. At the same time, it gives Rodenstock UK the opportunity to gain experience in retail, experience which should help develop even wider and better services for opticians."
If Allders Opticians have been purchased by Rodenstock are they still independent? How do opticians in the UK feel about a major manufacturer purchasing optical shops?