Vision Express (VE) was an one-hour optical retailer in the UK, established in 1989. In 1997 VE was acquired by Grand Vision (GV), a leading French retailer in the one-hour optical business. VE’s deal-driven, rapid expansion and promotional marketing culture clashed head-on with the quality, service and people culture of GPS. Four CEOs had come and gone since the acquisition. The strategy to steer VE away from promotion-based marketing to focus on quality and service were unsuccessful as VE slipped back into its promotional culture over the years. VE was loosing money in 2003 when the new CEO Bernhard Nuesser took over. Bernhard, a GV insider, was able to revitalize the strategy on quality and service. Through his various efforts, VE had reported a healthy ₤10.5 million in profits in 2004 and was on its way to increasing profit by ₤2 million every year.
