Optical chain sees Scottish openings

A new optical retail chain is emerging in Scotland. Two Opto Total Eyecare stores opened this month with more on the way. Naming and brand identity is by Tayburn McIlroy Coates, while interiors are by Skakel & Skakel.

Opto’s directors, who were originally with the Specsavers chain, envisage a 100-store chain operating in both Scotland and England. The first two stores are in Edinburgh and Falkirk.

The two Edinburgh consultancies worked together on the project from its early stages.

Tayburn McIlroy Coates was presented with a “blank sheet of paper” when it came to branding the venture, says a consultancy spokeswoman.

Opto – Greek for vision – emerged from name research and is supported by the Total Eyecare descriptor. The identity has been applied to literature, carrier bags and lens stickers. Tayburn Group division The Branding Iron is currently designing own-brand packaging for the chain.

Skakel & Skakel’s interiors are described by design director Andrew Skakel as “contemporary, and suggest quality and value”. Timber flooring, bright colours and subtle lighting contribute to the scheme’s mid-market position, he adds.