Advancements in audiology
It has been another successful year for our audiology business as we continued to strengthen our offer in the UK , the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands . Audiology is , simply , a core element of the Specsavers customer experience .
We were incredibly excited this year to launch our audiology partnership model in Australia . Our Australian customers can now benefit from real value for money , by saving as much as 50 % on what they were previously paying for their hearing care provision . What ’ s more , our partnership model provides local audiology professionals with a fantastic opportunity to own a business in a very busy market . With 18 audiology businesses now successfully trading from 31 optical stores , we will continue to expand our offering of the highest-quality professional service and the best possible value in the provision of hearing outcomes . We aim to have 100 audiology partners trading in up to 200 stores within the next year , growing to 150 partners in up to 300 stores within three years .
In the UK , NHS referrals increased by 10 % and private sales by more than 13 %. We also opened 25 new hearing hubs across the country , reinforcing our commitment to provide affordable audiology services to everyone . And we launched a service for earwax-removal by trained and accredited audiology professionals at many of our UK and Republic of Ireland stores .
Our Dutch market saw volume growth of more than 20 % on the previous year . A new hearing aid offer and a revamp of our appointment system contributed to enhancing the customer experience in the Netherlands .
The introduction of Widex Beyond hearing aids proved very popular this year . The innovative product uses the latest technology to provide streaming connectivity and full control of the wearer ’ s listening environment . Designed to synchronise with mobile devices , the hearing aids allow customers to adjust settings via their phone to suit their own preferences , making listening to music or using hands-free functionality a more enjoyable experience .
Partners Andrew Fraser and Rochelle Fraser at the launch of audiology at our Tweed City store in Australia .
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