Shop around for specs

People buying spectacles should shop around as prices vary hugely between stores, according to the Consumers' Association magazine, Which? Roughly half the population wear spectacles, increasing to more than 90 per cent of the over-55s, and the market was worth nearly pounds 1.3bn last year. The average cost in 1995 was pounds 95 per pair, the magazine said.

The four big national chains - Boots Opticians, Dollond & Aitchison, Specsavers and Vision Express - account for more than a third of all sales. But they are not necessarily the cheapest places to go, Which? found. It can be hard to see price differences, as opticians fail to display costs clearly or consistently, the magazine said. A major obstacle to checking prices was the way they were displayed, making it hard to compare them - and easy for opticians to charge varying prices without customers noticing.