Australia’s Chemist Warehouse has appointed Peter Larsen, former Specsavers Australia New Zealand eye health strategy director, to spearhead the roll out of its sister network, Optometrist Warehouse.

Founded in Preston, Victoria, in 1973 by Jack, Damien and Sam Gance and Mario Verrocchi, Chemist Warehouse today has 350 outlets, including 39 in New Zealand. The group opened their first Optometrist Warehouse in Melbourne on 15 February 2023 and is currently focused on expanding within Australia, said Larsen.

The stores will be open seven days a week, which will disrupt the industry with a “high-quality service offering that is accessible and affordable for all,” he said, adding this is achievable by exploiting the existing Chemist Warehouse network to bring immediate scale. “As a combined business, we are also seeking to drive new standards in primary eyecare services, at scale. In Australia we have the Medicare system, which supports publicly funded eye tests. We also intend to employ technology, at no additional fee, to drive improved outcomes.” Accessibility is a key marker of an effective health service, he said, and given all Optometrist Warehouse’s eyecare services will be bulk billed, there will be no out-of-pocket expenses for Australian customers.

In practical terms, this means the new stores need to be located close to Chemist Warehouse branches, said Larsen. “Our first store, in inner Melbourne, is literally next-door to the local Chemist Warehouse. It provides easy access for patients and enables a strong working relationship to form between the optometrists and pharmacists – a fundamental feature of our new business.” The proximity of stores means Chemist Warehouse’s home-delivery setup could also be shared with Optometry Warehouse, he said, but this is not the case yet.

As well as offering more than 500 frames – including brands such as Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Kendall + Kylie, Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld, Jimmy Choo and Rag & Bone, plus in-house brand San Paolo, Optometrist Warehouse will offer “hospital-grade clinical technology”, said Larsen, including image-management software, OCT and ultra-widefield scans. He wants Optometrist Warehouse to play a proactive role in healthcare, he said, which could even include audiology in the future. “It’s increasingly becoming an ‘eyes and ears’ practice format. It will be important, however, to assess any gaps in the market offering before making a decision.”

Although Optometry Warehouse is likely to draw comparisons with his old firm, Specsavers, Larsen said he actually sees all local optometry businesses as competitors. “Every one of us wants to serve as many local people as we can. If the optometrist team, in combination with the pharmacists under the common Warehouse umbrella, can offer a top-quality eyecare service that is accessible, we are sure we will be on a strong footing.”