Optical and hearing care chain Duncan and Todd (D&T) Group has added another branch to its Scotland-wide network after taking over a business in Moray.
But the move has also meant the closure of a shop in Huntly.
Sean Mulligan Opticians, on Mid Street, Keith, joins Aberdeen-based D&T following its sale for an undisclosed sum.
Its two employees, including former owner Sean Mulligan and long-serving staff member Jayne Forsyth, are now part of a group with more than 40 branches and in excess of 370 employees across Scotland.
Huntly branch to close
The Keith pair have been joined by all four staff from D&T’s Huntly branch, following its closure.
D&T managing director Frances Rus said: “We are pleased to have added Keith to our portfolio and delighted Sean is staying on with us to provide continuity and a familiar face for patients.
“As a fellow long-established independent optometrist committed to providing a high quality and personal service to its local communities, Sean Mulligan Opticians was a strong fit for us.
“Our staff and patients have transferred from our Huntly branch, which has relocated to allow us to offer a bigger space and additional services, and we look forward to welcoming members of the community in and around Keith to Duncan and Todd.”
D&T’s acquisition trail
The expansion comes after D&T acquired Eyewise Optometrists in Banchory last summer, as well as the Spectacle Company’s branches in Stonehaven and Montrose.
D&T now has 13 branches across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, as well as further afield in Angus, Dundee, Perth, Moray and the Highlands.
The company trades as 20 20 Opticians south of Perthshire, while also retaining names that are well-known locally – such as JM MacDonald in the Highlands.
Sean Mulligan Opticians was a strong fit for us.”
Frances Rus, chief executive, Duncan and Todd
Group businesses include Caledonian Optical – D&T’s dedicated lens manufacturing operation – and, for corporate customers, Smart Employee Eyecare.
The company, which turned over £23.8 million in the year to March 2022, has recently been celebrating its 50th year.
Norman Duncan started trading about half a century ago from a house in Peterhead, with Stewart Todd joining him a year later to create the brand.
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