Dollond & Aitchison
Coordinates: 52 ° 29 ′ 52.5 " N , 1 ° 52 ′ 49.2" W.
| Dollond & Aitchison
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| legal form | Corporation |
| founding | 1750 |
| Seat | Birmingham |
| Number of employees | 5,000 (2009) |
| Branch | Retail , optician |
| Website | www.danda.co.uk |
Dollond & Aitchison is one of the oldest UK companies specializing in consumer optics . Its headquarters are at Aston Cross Business Park, 50 Rocky Lane, Aston, Birmingham .
history
On April 21, 1750, Peter Dollond opened a small optician's shop on Vine Street, near Hatton Garden in London. In 1768 John Dollond (1706–1761) became King George III's optician . and appointed by the Duke of York. In 1851, Dollond took part in the Great Exhibition and was awarded a medal for the quality of its optical instruments. In 1889, James Aitchinson (1860–1911) opened his first store on Fleet Street .
In 1927 Aitchison & Co. and Dollond & Co. merged to become Dollond & Aitchison.
In 1969 the seat was moved to Birmingham . From 1970 to 1982 there were a number of add-on acquisitions in Great Britain , Italy and Spain .
At the product level, Dollond & Aitchison introduced D & A's Styleyes Computereyes and Service in 1996, and the company went online in 1997. In 1998, mail delivery of contact lenses was introduced.
In 1999 D&A bought the Italian frame manufacturer De Rigo . In 2000 a new store was opened on Hagley Road. In 2001 the company was restructured.
Dollond & Aitchison was merged with Boots Optiker in May 2009, but will continue to be used as the trade name of Boots Optiker Gruppe.
The new company, together with De Rigo and Alliance Boots, will have a total of around 690 branches across the UK and in 2009 directly employed more than 5,000 people.
D&A has been a member of Nektar , the UK's largest customer loyalty program, since 2005.
literature
- Hugh Barty-King: Eyes right. The story of Dollond & Aitchison, opticians, 1750-1985. Quiller Press, London 1986, ISBN 0-907621-69-4 (English).
Web links
- Dollond & Aitchison's website
- Graeme Wearden: Dollond & Aitchison name to vanish from high street. The Guardian, January 29, 2009, accessed February 7, 2010 .