Specsavers has launched Horizon30, a fiveyear strategy for its Australian and New Zealand network that aims to deliver 30 million “lifechanging experiences” for patients by 2030.

The plan spans five pillars: care, customer, growth, people, and partnership. For optometrists, the details that matter sit within the care pillar: making myopia management standard of care, building a more child-centric testing experience, and widening access to advanced dry eye treatment.

Horizon30 was shaped by feedback from store partners, optometrists, audiology professionals, and support office teams, alongside outside experts. Tom Craw, Managing Director Audiology ANZ, said the process reflected “both the realities of today and the opportunities ahead”.

Paul Bott, Managing Director Optics ANZ, pointed to previous rounds of clinician feedback as evidence the model works, citing the rollout of advanced dry eye treatments, simplified clinical administration, and investment in KeepSight, the diabetes eye care program, that now keeps more than 42% of Australians with diabetes engaged in regular eye care.

Dr Ben Ashby, Director of Optometry for Specsavers ANZ, said the headline figure is a simple count of visits rather than an outcomes measure, covering both optometry and audiology across the network. The target reflects growing store numbers, new openings, and more optometrists and audiologists to care for patients.

MAKING MYOPIA MANAGEMENT STANDARD OF CARE

Around 45% of myopic children seen in Specsavers stores are currently enrolled in some form of myopia management. The company wants this at 80% by 2030 – one leg of a “triple 80” ambition, alongside 80% of children needing vision correction receiving it, and an 80 net promoter score for children and their families.

Dr Ashby said the main barrier to myopia management is price. “We don’t generally find that parents are against myopia management, but unfortunately it is quite an expensive option.”

Specsavers has cut the price of its entry-level myopia control spectacle, Myoeyes, by around 40% per pair – roughly a quarter of the cost of its premium HOYA lens.

Acknowledging that Myoeyes achieves around a 30% reduction in myopia progression, compared with 60% for the premium lens, Dr Ashby said the “strategy is to get people that have no form of myopia management into this one”.

“It’s less effective than the premium lens, but infinitely more effective than single vision lenses.” Both lenses carry the same progression-based warranty.

REDESIGNING EYE CARE FOR KIDS

Paediatric eye care is a key focus of Horizon30. Specsavers has boosted clinician CPD, including sessions with Dr Kate Gifford of Myopia Profile, and redesigned its paediatric product and service delivery.

“We kind of treated kids like mini adults,” Dr Ashby said. “Now we can spend more time looking at how the journey for kids needs to be different.”

Redesigned frames, built to specifications from Dr Alicia Thompson of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, now cover around 60% of the children’s range. Stores have also introduced child-height merchandising, booster seats, and colourful characters called Optomonsters to make eye exams fun rather than frightening.

ADVANCING DRY EYE CARE

More than 150 Specsavers stores now offer intense pulsed light and low light therapy for dry eye, with around 2,000 patients treated in the past three months at AU$600 for a four-treatment course. A lower-cost, single-session lid treatment for blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction is being piloted at approximately $200.

“We generally don’t do something unless we believe we can do it for better value than everyone else, which means making it widely available,” Dr Ashby said, noting the rollout required a standardised protocol, consistent pricing, and training across stores.

EXPANDING ACCESS TO EYE CARE

Globally, Specsavers is re-platforming its practice management system to enable telehealth, with Australia – chosen for its “change readiness” – rolling out first by 2030.

The first feature will be pre-visit questionnaires; ambient scribe technology is also being monitored, though Dr Ashby would not commit to a timeline.

CULTURE THE KEY

Dr Ashby said maintaining Specsavers’ positive culture – reflected in independent surveys such as Great Places to Work – is key to delivering Horizon30. “Plans may change over time… but as much effort is going into making sure the culture remains at the core of what it always has been.”

Specsavers operates 450 practices across Australia and New Zealand; its 400th Australian store opened in Hamilton, Victoria, in July. Dr Ashby said growing store numbers, expanding clinician capacity, and maintaining culture, rather than the plan itself, will determine whether the 30 million target is reached.