Two Bangor opticians have taken the reins at the city’s Specsavers store as it marks its 30th anniversary.
Gareth Riley and James Molyneux bring more than 15 years’ experience to the helm at the store, which is based in the Deiniol Centre.
Mr Riley, 30, joined the store eight years ago, later qualifying as a dispensing optician.
Meanwhile, 49-year-old Mr Molyneux has spent the last seven years working at Specsavers as a specialist contact lens optician.
The duo will join Robert Rodger as joint owners of the store, which was first opened in 1992.
They opted to enrol on Specsavers’ ‘Pathway’ programme, which prepares experienced optometrists, optical dispensers and retail managers for practice ownership.
Commenting on the appointment, Mr Riley says: ‘With a new year comes this new role, and I’m ready to hit the ground running. James and I have got big plans for the store and we’re looking forward to working alongside the team to ensure we continue to provide the very best service for our customers, old and new.’
The new ownership comes as the store, which has six test rooms and employs 28 local staff, is set to mark its 30th anniversary in April.
Mr Molyneux adds: ‘Specsavers was opened almost 30 years ago with the aim of providing affordable eye health services to locals – and this is still our ethos to this day. We will continue to invest in staff and in state-of-the-art technology, while retaining the core community-focused approach that has allowed the store to succeed for the last three decades.’