Cambridge Spectacle Co. expands

As the company prepares to open its third practice in the space of two years, OT learnt more about the ambitious plans behind Cambridge Spectacle Co.

3 min read

Cambridge Spectacle Co.

Kimberley Young

13 February 2025

Ahmed Ejaz, CEO of eyewear brand Cambridge Spectacle Co., told OT that 2024 was a year of rapid expansion.

Cambridge Spectacle Co. opened its first High Street practice in Cheltenham in 2023.

A few months after the opening of its first concept store the brand began preparations to open more sites.

Ejaz said: “I feel like the people I speak to most in my working life now are commercial lawyers – it has been an experience transitioning from optometrist to entrepreneurship.”

The team has settled well into the Cheltenham practice, Ejaz shared: “So far, we’ve had zero staff turnover which shows that we are hopefully a fun place to work.”

By the end of 2024, the brand had purchased a second practice, Glimpse Opticians in Birmingham.

“Our acquisition of Glimpse came about because our chairman really liked the practice. Our IP lawyer was also a customer and admired the practice,” Ejaz explained.

The team approached the practice owners and agreed a deal, with Ejaz sharing: “Just six weeks later, I was adding our sign above the door. It happened so fast.”

“We are always on the lookout for good sites that fit with our brand, but we were already in the middle of acquiring our London site when the opportunity came up and we couldn’t resist,” he said.

At the time of writing, Cambridge Spectacle Co. is about to open its doors in Hornsey, London.

The previous owner of the London practice will become a shareholder of Cambridge Spectacle Co.

Ejaz said: “We are keen to work with him to improve our brand and make sure there is a smooth transition.”

As a result of the latest acquisition, Cambridge Spectacle Co. will have three sites and approximately 15,000 patients registered across the group.

“With this comes a great responsibility to give the patients the best eye care services possible and expanded choice, which serve as an alternative to the current designer frame choices out there. We want to introduce our quality designs to a new audience,” Ejaz told OT.

Online booking capabilities will also be introduced to the practices following the transition.

Ejaz explained that Cambridge Spectacle Co. has “huge ambitions to transform optometry,” with a goal of becoming “the alternative choice to the few multiples that dominate the market.”

Considering what the optical market might bring in 2025, he told OT: “I think there will be a greater demand for eye care, but the economy doesn’t seem to have the stability it needs.

“The budget wasn’t the most inspiring for businesses, and in particular, start-up businesses that need to save costs in the early days. So, we’re under no illusion and realise business will be tough,” Ejaz said.

The business is in communication with its financial backers to ensure it can achieve its growth plans, which Ejaz suggests are “hugely ambitious.”

Talking to OT, he said: “I don’t see myself as a business owner as much as an optometrist leading a great team. We have so many stakeholders, it’s not just me owning 100% of the business anymore."

“In 2025, I just want to make sure all of our patients, shareholders, lab partners and staff, are happy to be part of our growing company. That’s what gives me most joy,” he concluded.