Vision Express plans 500 eyewear stores by 2015

New Delhi: Vision Express, the joint venture between Reliance Retail and Dutch optical retailer Pearle Europe, plans to open 500 eyewear outlets across the country by 2015.

'We formalised our JV in July last year and started our retail operations in December, Vision Express Head (Marketing and Operations), Mr Gijsbert Ackermans said.

The firm has already opened eight outlets in Bangalore, Mysore, Hyderabad, Pune and Delhi in the last two months. Mr Ackermans, however, refused to share investment plans for the expansion or targeted sales turnover.

'We are willing to tap the entire metro, Tier I and II markets and our aim is to be among the top few players in the Indian optical eyewear market by the end of 2011,'' Mr Ackermans said.

Vision Express is touting itself as a 'value for money' player with sunglasses, contact lenses and frames.