MONTE CARLO—Last month HAL Holding’s GrandVision subsidiary acquired the G C Bateman Group, an U.K.-based optical retail chain that operates 75 stores. G C Bateman reported 2007 sales of approximately ₤22 million.

In May HAL also reached an agreement to increase its interest in the Moscow-based optical retail company Lensmaster from 32 percent to 57 percent.

In the first three months of this fiscal year, HAL’s comparable-store sales in optical decreased by 0.6 percent, the company reported last month. The operating income of HAL’s optical retail operations activities for the first quarter, was €61 million, compared to €66 million for the same period last year.