Yates & Suddell

What Yates & Suddell does

Yates & Suddell Opticians is a privately held independent optical retail business operating under Y&S Optical Group Ltd (Company Number 6778967), founded in 1944 and headquartered in Bury, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. The company operates three physical practices in Bury (flagship), Ramsbottom, and Walkden, serving both NHS-funded and private patients across the Greater Manchester region with eye examinations, prescription eyewear, contact lens fitting, hearing care, and pediatric eye care. With a stated headcount of 1-10 employees, the firm functions as a community-focused independent practice competing against UK optical multiples.

The firm's product portfolio spans standard and enhanced eye examinations using OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) retinal scanning, which provides 3D imaging for early detection of sight-threatening conditions; contact lens assessments and ongoing supply including specialty designs; EyeDream Ortho K overnight contact lenses for myopia control in children; prescription spectacles and sunglasses drawn from over 1,000 frames supplied by designers such as Ray-Ban, Versace, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Ted Baker; and hearing care services including audiology assessments, microsuction wax removal, and hearing device fitting with aftercare. The company positions its independence from supplier contracts as a sourcing advantage, allowing rapid adoption of new lens technologies and fashion frames.

Revenue is generated across four streams: professional fees from eye examinations (NHS and private), one-time eyewear sales, recurring contact lens supply, and hearing care hardware sales plus service fees. Distribution is exclusively direct via the three retail locations, with appointment booking supported by the third-party Book An Eye Test platform and the company's own website. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; NHS-funded eye tests are free for children under 16 and teenagers under 19 in full-time education, while private exams, eyewear, contact lenses, and hearing devices are priced on inquiry. Marketing relies on organic Facebook and Twitter channels and the booking partnership rather than paid acquisition at scale.

Name

Yates & Suddell

Legal name

Y&S Optical Group Ltd

Website

https://ysopticians.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Founded in 1944, Yates & Suddell is an independent optician operating three practices across Greater Manchester, UK, offering eye examinations, prescription eyewear, contact lenses, myopia control, and hearing care to NHS and private patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Eye Examinations: Comprehensive eye examinations for private and NHS patients, including standard tests and enhanced examinations with OCT scanning.
2. Eyewear Sales: Sale of spectacles, frames, lenses, and prescription sunglasses. Stock over 1000 frames from top designers including Ray-Ban, Versace, Gucci, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ted Baker, Silhouette, Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani.
3. Contact Lens Sales: Contact lens sales including daily and monthly disposables, soft lenses, specialist designs, and Ortho K overnight lenses. Includes contact lens assessments and aftercare appointments.
4. Hearing Care Services and Devices: Hearing tests, wax removal by microsuction, and hearing device provision with ongoing aftercare packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Yates & Suddell is an independent optician that delivers eye examinations, prescription eyewear, contact lens fittings, and hearing care services through three physical practices in Greater Manchester (Bury, Ramsbottom, and Walkden). The company serves both private and NHS patients, stocking over 1,000 designer frames and providing advanced clinical services such as OCT retinal imaging, Ortho K myopia control, and microsuction ear wax removal.

Product overview

Yates & Suddell is a truly independent optician offering a unified portfolio of eye and hearing care services across three UK practices. The core offering centers on eye examinations (standard and enhanced with OCT imaging) and prescription eyewear (spectacles and sunglasses). Contact lens services include assessments and fittings for daily/monthly disposables plus specialist Ortho K lenses for myopia control. The company has expanded into hearing care with assessments, wax removal by microsuction, and device aftercare. Children's eye care and emergency eye care services are also provided. All services are available to both private and NHS patients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Eye Examinations

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 years of established reputation at Bury practice
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Book An Eye TestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYates & Suddell is a proud partner/member of Book An Eye Test, a third-party platform that allows patients to book eye test appointments online. This partnership helps drive patient acquisition through the platform's directory and booking system.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Glasses Direct: Online-only UK prescription eyewear retailer offering low-cost glasses and home try-on. Not a direct clinical competitor but a meaningful substitute for the dispensing/eyewear portion of Yates & Suddell's revenue.
• Hidden Hearing: UK's largest dedicated hearing care retailer offering hearing assessments, hearing aids, and aftercare. Comparable on the hearing care vertical at Yates & Suddell, though operating as a specialist rather than an optician-add-on.

Direct peers

• Specsavers: UK's largest optical retail chain offering eye tests, eyewear, contact lenses and hearing care. Direct competitor to Yates & Suddell in the same Manchester-area catchment, operating at massive scale with NHS contracts and mid-market positioning.
• Optical Express: UK's leading refractive surgery and lens surgery provider, also offering eye examinations, glasses, and contact lenses. Direct competitor particularly in clinical eye-care services and premium lens/contact lens categories.
• Leightons Opticians: Independent UK optical and hearing care group offering clinical eye examinations, OCT, contact lenses, and hearing services. Closely comparable in independent positioning, clinical technology adoption, and combined optical/hearing offering.
• Vision Express: National UK optical retailer providing eye examinations, prescription glasses, and contact lenses. Competes for the same NHS-funded and private eye-test customers and offers comparable designer frame ranges in Greater Manchester locations.
• David Clulow Opticians: UK premium optical retailer specializing in designer eyewear and frames. Comparable to Yates & Suddell on the designer frame selection and fashion-led retail experience, with overlapping London and major-city catchments.
• Scrivens Opticians: UK family-run optical and hearing care chain founded in 1938. Closest structural analogue to Yates & Suddell as a multi-generational independent-style group offering eye care, hearing care, and NHS services across regional UK towns.
• Bayfields Opticians: Independent-feel UK optical group operating across multiple regional practices offering eye examinations, designer frames, and advanced lens options. Directly comparable mid-market positioning and multi-site independent operating model.
• Boots Opticians: Optical services arm of Boots, offering eye tests, glasses, and contact lenses co-located with pharmacy retail. Overlaps with Yates & Suddell on NHS eye tests, OCT-style enhanced exams, and designer eyewear at Greater Manchester Boots stores.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YSOpticians
• Facebookfacebook.com/YSOpticians
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yates-and-suddell

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Yates & Suddell