French retailer Les Mousquetaires, which operates the Intermarché chain, is teaming up with Sym Optic to provide a platform for customers to receive optical care in its stores.
Services range from visual assessments to the prescription and purchase of glasses.
Les Mousquetaires And Sym Optic Collaboration
In a statement, Les Mousquetaires said that through its daily contact with French consumers, it has been made aware of difficulties in accessing medical care in certain areas.
In 2022, 30% of French regions will be considered 'ophthalmic deserts', with severe difficulty accessing optic care.
With this in mind, the retailer has decided to offer optical services that will make access to these services easier and less costly.
The retailer will offer an area dedicated to optical services in its stores, either through the form of a specially-designated store-in-store, or as a mobile unit in its parking lots.
This service, managed independently by Sym Optic, will offer a free ophthalmological diagnosis, from a qualified optician, and the issuance of a prescription by a partner ophthalmologist.
Sym Optic also offers the sale of optical products.
'A Real Public Health Issue'
"We are proud to provide solutions to what is a real public health issue. Our aim is to democratise access to glasses for everyone, everywhere in the country, by innovating on several fronts: on the product front, by using the 100% health card, and on the service front, by promoting asynchronous (deferred) teleconsultation solutions," said Mohand Benabdelouahed, co-founder and chief executive of Sym Optic.
"In France, according to studies, nearly a third of the French population foregoes certain types of care for financial reasons and more than one French person in two has already had to forego optical care. It is therefore part of our mission to give as many people as possible access to quality products and services."
Trial Period
This partnership has now been put into practice after a trial in thirteen Intermarché outlets in the Morbihan, Somme, and South-West departments.
Les Mousquetaires managers will develop this partnership according to their local context.
Starting this week, five Intermarché outlets will host Sym Optic twice a month, including stores in Berteaucourt, Gamaches, Goincourt, Bresles, Moyvilliers.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
