Specsavers has paid £12m to its parent company, controlled by founders Doug and Dame Mary Perkins, following a significant increase in profits. Pre-tax profits for the high street opticians soared by more than a quarter, reaching £429.7m in the year to February.
Sales for the period also saw a 7% rise, totalling £4.3bn. The company had previously paused dividend payments to its Guernsey-based parent in the prior year due to economic and political uncertainty, as well as significant expansion and investment.
A spokesperson for Specsavers stated that the resumption of dividend payments, at a level consistent with historic amounts, reflects the business's strength and confidence in its future performance. This has been achieved while continuing to invest in long-term growth and delivering value for customers.
The group also shared out almost £258m to its shop owners, an increase from £239m in the previous year. Specsavers operates nearly 3,000 businesses globally, including over 900 in the UK, through hundreds of independent partners.