Optician focuses on successful 2023 thanks to revolutionary eyewear

EDGE Eyewear opened in Warrington Market 18 months ago in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Graham has worked hard to build up a patient and client base securing five star reviews for his services.

Here, in our latest Business of the Week feature, Graham tells us about the revolutionary new products he has to offer including contact lenses that you sleep in, which change the shape of your eye so you don’t need to wear glasses or contact lenses the following day.

If you would like to feature as our Trader of the Week or Business of the Week, email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk

EDGE Eyewear owner Graham Weir

What’s the name of the business?

EDGE Eyewear

What’s the address?

Unit 20/21 Warrington Market, 2 Time Square, Warrington, WA1 2NT

When did you open the business?

In June 2022

Are you local to the area? Did you grow up here?

I’m from Liverpool but have worked in Warrington since September 2020.

Tell me a bit about your business

We are an independent optician with a difference. We do things that most high street opticians simply can’t do along with all the things that they can do too.

EDGE Eyewear is inside Warrington Market

What do you do? What services do you provide?

We supply spectacles, contact lenses, sunglasses and other eye care related products. We also provide the highest quality eye examinations and contact lens appointments.

Why did you decide to open your own business?

I was the optometrist in this same unit when Maskell & Josephson the Optometrists opened here in September 2020. I fell in love with the market and could see the potential for the business to grow. When the owner of M&J said that he was thinking of selling I jumped at the chance to own the business but put my own stamp on it.

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What’s your business background?

Honestly, I have none. I have a wealth of experience of working in optics in general, but this is the first time I’ve been a business owner. It’s a steep learning curve!

Why this type of business?

I did my first degree in maths. While I was studying, I worked in an opticians as a Saturday job. When I finished my degree, I worked as a computer programmer. I wasn’t enjoying it very much and missed the days of working in the opticians so, I returned to university and studied optometry. I enjoyed university a lot, so much so that I now regularly teach optometry at the University of Manchester.

How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your business?

EDGE Eyewear wasn’t open at the start of the pandemic but I was working in this same unit in the market for M&J. It was a terrible time to be starting a new business and things were extremely slow to get going. It affected EDGE because when I bought the business it didn’t have very many existing patients.

Colourful frames on display at EDGE Eyewear

What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?

We are different to most opticians in so many ways. We can fit contact lenses that you wear in bed that change the shape of your eye. You wake up, remove them, and can see all day without glasses or contact lenses. We have a special interest in eco-friendly and sustainable eyewear. For example, frames made from rescued fishing nets and lenses made using 80% less energy and 95% less water. I’m an expert in myopia management. This is the slowing down of a child’s short-sightedness. It’s extremely important, but most opticians don’t even tell their patients that it exists. We are experts in helping glasses patients with high prescriptions. We can do lenses thinner than most opticians – in fact, the thinnest lenses on the planet! One of the subjects I teach at the university is contact lenses. Anyone who’s had trouble finding an optician who can get their lenses just right needs to see me.

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Why do loyal customers return to your business?

With all our technical knowhow and fancy equipment, it’s customer service that is as important as anything else. We always go the extra mile to make sure our patients are happy. That’s why every single review we’ve ever received on Google and Facebook has been five stars – every last one.

What’s next? What do the next few months hold for you and your business?

It’s a tricky time for small business. The cost-of-living crisis is affecting all aspects of retail, including us. Added to that is the fact that December is traditionally always a quiet time in the world of optics so we’re hoping things pick up this month. The next few months will see EDGE continuing to give the highest levels of eye care and supply the best quality products. Hopefully word about how EDGE is that little bit different to other opticians will spread and see us grow from strength to strength. Soon, all of Warrington will know where we are and what we’re about.