DUNCAN & Todd

What DUNCAN & Todd does

Duncan & Todd is a privately-held Scottish optician and hearing care provider operating under the Duncan & Todd Group since 1972. The company delivers professional eye health examinations, prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and hearing care services through a network of 26+ retail locations spanning Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Morayshire, Dundee, Angus, Highland, Perth, and Stirling. Its core customer base is the general Scottish consumer seeking accessible local vision and hearing care, served through both NHS and private payor channels.

The company's product portfolio spans prescription glasses, sunglasses, photochromic and polarised lenses, contact lenses (including multifocal and overnight options), hearing aids, and ear wax removal services (HearSmart). Clinical capability is supported by OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) scanning equipment for retinal imaging and a dedicated myopia management programme for children. Services are delivered in-branch and increasingly through an e-commerce online shop at shop.duncanandtodd.com, with appointments scheduled online or by phone.

Duncan & Todd generates revenue through a mix of professional service fees (eye and hearing examinations) and product sales (one-time purchase of glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and hearing devices). Pricing is largely opaque and quote-based except for promotional offers such as prescription sunglasses from £99. The company has raised growth capital from UK private equity backers BGF (£9.2M, December 2013) and LDC (£21.2M, March 2018), and has executed at least one acquisition (Dempster Optometrists, April 2018). With 51–100 employees, the business remains a regional retail healthcare operator concentrated entirely within Scotland.

Name

DUNCAN & Todd

Legal name

Duncan & Todd Group

Website

https://duncanandtodd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Duncan & Todd is a privately-held Scottish optician and hearing care provider founded in 1972, operating 26+ retail locations across Scotland. It serves general consumers with professional eye examinations, prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and hearing care services including ear wax removal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical and Hearing Care Retail

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (621320), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL), Kids & Teen Eyewear (CRAAAKAE)

Keywords

• Optical retail services
• Hearing care services
• Prescription eyewear
• Contact lens fitting
• Community optometry

Headquarters

HQ city

Aberdeen

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices22 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Eye Care Services: Professional eye examinations, diagnosis, and treatment of eye conditions
2. Glasses and Lenses Sales: Sale of prescription glasses, frames, lenses including photochromic and polarised options
3. Contact Lens Sales: Sale of contact lenses with various packages including multifocal and overnight lenses
4. Hearing Care Services: Hearing tests, ear wax removal services, and hearing device sales and fitting

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Duncan & Todd is a Scotland-based optician and hearing care retailer providing professional eye examinations, prescription glasses, sunglasses, contact lens fitting, and hearing care services through 26+ physical branches plus an online shop. The company also offers specialised services including OCT retinal scanning, myopia management for children, ear wax removal (HearSmart), and hearing device fitting.

Product overview

Duncan & Todd is a Scottish optician and hearing care provider established in 1972, offering a comprehensive portfolio of eye and hearing health services. The core offering includes eye health examinations, prescription eyewear (glasses and sunglasses), contact lenses, and hearing care services. Additional specialised offerings include OCT scanning technology, myopia management for children, ear wax removal via the HearSmart service, and hearing devices. The company operates across multiple retail locations throughout Scotland and also maintains an online e-commerce shop for eyewear products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eye Health Services Comprehensive professional eye health examinations for adults and children, covering eye conditions, symptoms, and general eye health checks, available to general consumers across Scotland.
• Prescription Glasses Prescription eyewear offered in women's, men's and children's ranges with multiple frame brands and lens types, fitted in branch for individual consumers.
• Sunglasses Prescription and non-prescription sunglasses, including a £99 promotional complete prescription sunglasses range, available in branch and online.
• Contact Lenses Contact lens fitting and supply covering multifocal, overnight, and Biofinity lenses, supplied via subscription-style packages to individual wearers.
• Hearing Care Services Professional hearing assessments, ear wax removal (HearSmart), and hearing device supply and fitting for adults experiencing hearing loss in Scotland.
• OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) Scan Advanced retinal scanning service using OCT technology to produce detailed cross-sectional images of the retina for comprehensive eye health assessment.
• Myopia Management Specialised clinical programme for managing the progression of childhood myopia (short-sightedness), delivered to children and their parents.
• Ear Wax Removal (HearSmart) Professional ear wax removal service using microsuction and related techniques, branded as HearSmart, available to adults in branch.
• Hearing Devices Range of hearing aids and assistive listening devices supplied and fitted by clinicians for individuals with hearing loss.
• Online Shop E-commerce platform selling eyewear, lenses, and related optical products direct to Scottish consumers via shop.duncanandtodd.com.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Specsavers: Largest UK optician chain offering eye examinations, prescription eyewear, and hearing care through a partnership model. Directly comparable as the dominant high-street optical and hearing retailer in the UK.
• Vision Express: National UK optical retailer offering eye tests, glasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses. Comparable as a high-street optical chain competing for the same consumer base.
• Scrivens Opticians: UK family-owned optician with hearing care services, operating across multiple regions. Comparable as a regional multi-branch optician and hearing care provider.
• Bayfields Opticians: Independent UK optician group with multiple branches offering eye care and eyewear. Comparable as a multi-site optician with similar service portfolio and regional growth model.
• Leightons Opticians: UK optician and hearing care chain with branches across southern England. Comparable as a multi-branch optician combining eye care, eyewear, and hearing services under one brand.
• Conlons Opticians: Family-run UK optician with multiple branches offering eye examinations and eyewear. Comparable as a multi-site independent optician group with similar community-focused positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Boots Opticians: Optical retail operation of the major UK pharmacy chain Boots. Comparable in offering eye exams and eyewear but as part of a much broader health and beauty retail portfolio.
• Optical Express: UK optical and refractive surgery provider with clinics across the country. Comparable in offering eye examinations and eyewear but with a larger focus on laser and lens surgery.

Regional players

• Black & Lizars: Scottish optician with stores primarily in Scotland, offering eye care and eyewear. Directly comparable as a Scotland-focused optical competitor in the same geographies as Duncan & Todd.

Emerging players

• Glasses Direct: UK online eyewear retailer selling prescription glasses direct to consumers. Comparable as a competing eyewear channel threatening traditional high-street optical retail.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/37298648
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duncan-and-todd-ophthalmic-opticians
• Instagraminstagram.com/duncanandtoddopticians
• Xx.com/DTOpticians

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DUNCAN & Todd