Dollond & Aitchison
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail optician |
| Founded | April 21, 1750 in London, England |
| Founder | Peter Dollond |
| Defunct | 2015 |
| Fate | Merged into Boots Opticians |
| Headquarters | Aston, Birmingham , United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, Spain, Italy |
Key people | John Dollond, Peter Dollond, James Aitchison |
| Products | Eyewear, optical instruments, vision testing services |
Number of employees | 5,000 |
| Parent | De Rigo (from 1999) |
| Website | www |
Dollond & Aitchison ranked among the United Kingdom's longest-standing retail optician chains, having been founded in 1750. The brand was integrated into Boots Opticians in 2009, with all outlets rebranded by the year 2015.
History
The origins of the company trace back to 21 April 1750, when Peter Dollond launched a modest optical shop close to Hatton Garden in London. His father, John Dollond, joined the enterprise two years later in 1752. Renowned for their superior optical craftsmanship, the Dollonds earned distinction early on; notably, John Dollond was appointed optician to King George III and the Duke of York and Albany in 1761. Additionally, Peter Dollond is credited with inventing bifocal glasses in 1781.
At the 1851 The Great Exhibition, the Dollonds were awarded a medal recognizing their excellence in optical instruments.
In 1889, James Aitchison established his initial business on Fleet Street. The year 1927 saw the merger of Dollond & Co with Aitchison & Co, resulting in the formation of Dollond & Aitchison (D&A).
The firm moved its operations to Aston, Birmingham in 1969.
During the 1960s, D&A operated as a subsidiary under the British television company Television Wales and West. From 1970 until 1982, D&A expanded its presence through acquisitions across the UK, Spain, and Italy. Management buy-outs subsequently took place in these regions during 1994.
In the 1990s, D&A introduced technological innovations such as computerised vision testing (1996) and launched a mail-order contact lens service (1998). Marketing campaigns featured actor Burt Reynolds. In 1999, the Italian eyewear manufacturer De Rigo purchased D&A for approximately £50 million. Two years later, in 2001, D&A divested its manufacturing division to BBGR and reorganised into three subsidiaries beneath a holding company structure.
On 29 January 2009, Boots Opticians declared a merger with D&A, creating a combined network of 690 stores staffed by around 5,000 employees following acquisition of a controlling interest. Prior to this merger, D&A had refuted claims of financial instability despite closing some outlets.
Dollond & Aitchison held Royal Warrants and provided eyewear to both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Further reading
- Hugh Barty-King. Eyes Right: the story of Dollond & Aitchison opticians 1750-1985. Quiller Press (1986).
External links
- Articles with short description
- Eyewear companies of the United Kingdom
- British companies established in 1750
- Retail companies established in 1750
- British companies disestablished in 2015
- Retail companies disestablished in 2015
- Eyewear retailers of the United Kingdom
- British royal warrant holders
- Companies based in Birmingham, West Midlands
- 1750 establishments in England
- 2015 disestablishments in England