Table of Contents
Introduction and Abbreviations
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- Definition
- Consumer research
- ACORN
- Abbreviations
Premier Insight
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- Location is everything
- Encouraging multiple ownership/shorter replacement cycles
- Greater take-up of exams needs to be encouraged
- Brands need to stand out
- Convenience is everything
Executive Summary
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- Depressed demand for eye examinations
- User base gradually growing
- Overall market shows slow but steady growth
- Average transaction values for specs growing
- Contact lens industry has been proactive
- Contact lens solutions, market bottoms out
- Eyecare solutions small market
- Imports dominate spectacle frames
- Lens suppliers concentrating
- Contact lens supply chain also consolidating
- Above-the-line advertising dominated by Specsavers
- Opticians dominate distribution
- Franchising proves a formula for success
- Direct supply slow to take off
- Rise of the supermarkets
- Laser surgery, threat or opportunity?
- Underlying growth in demand
- Polarisation will continue
- Economic slowdown could create stagnation
- Spectacle market
- Contact lens market
- Opticians will continue to dominate
- Tough trading conditions
Market Drivers
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- Eye examination numbers dip in 2003
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- Figure 1: Number of eye examinations, UK, 1999-2004
- Adding value through branding
- Major chains dominate the market
- March of the grocery giants
- Legislation slow to change
- Making price-based comparisons with other opticians
- Opticians being brought into the heart of preventative healthcare
- How the new regulations affect direct sale of contact lenses
- Economic factors
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- Figure 2: Trends and projections in PDI, at current and constant 1999 prices, 1999-2009
- Trends in wearing spectacles and contact lenses
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- Figure 3: Trends in wearing of spectacles and contact lenses, 1998-2004
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- Figure 4: Indexed trends in wearing of spectacles and contact lenses, 1998-2003
- Optical goods usage – trends in detail
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- Figure 5: Wearers of spectacles and contact lenses, by gender, age, socio-economic group and region, 2004
- Significant differences in user profiles
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- Figure 6: Wearers of spectacles and contact lenses, by age, 2004
- Trends in population growth
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- Figure 7: Trends and projections in UK population, by age group, 1999-2008
Market Size and Trends
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- Eye examinations
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- Figure 8: Sight tests in GB paid for by the NHS and privately, by volume and value, 1999-2004
- Price rises and discounting
- Sales of optical goods and eyecare products
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- Figure 9: UK retail sales of optical goods and eyecare products, by value, at current and constant 1999 prices, 1999-2004
- Figure 10: UK retail sales of optical goods and eyecare, by sector, 2003
- Spectacles take the lion’s share
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- Figure 11: UK retail sales of optical goods and eyecare, by sector and value, 2001 and 2003
Market Segmentation
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- Spectacles
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- Figure 12: UK retail sales of spectacles, by value, at current and constant 1999 prices, 1999-2004
- Innovation in spectacle lenses
- Growing average prices
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- Figure 13: Average retail spend on all types of spectacles, by value, 1999-2004
- Privately purchased spectacles
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- Figure 14: Average retail spend on spectacles purchased privately, by value, at current and constant 1999 prices, 1999-2004
- Spectacles purchased with NHS assistance
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- Figure 15: Average retail spend on spectacles purchased with NHS assistance, by value, at current and constant 1999 prices, 1999-2004
- Figure 16: Comparison between average retail spend on spectacles purchased with NHS assistance with average retail spend on spectacles purchased privately, by value, 1999-2004
- Contact lenses
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- Figure 17: UK retail sales of contact lenses, by value, at current and constant 1999 prices, 1999-2004
- The wearer base for contact lenses by main type in 2002 and 2003
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- Figure 18: Estimate of wearers of contact lenses, by main type, 2002 and 2003
- Contact lenses by type
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- Figure 19: UK retail sales of contact lenses, by value, by type, 2002 and 2003
- Daily disposables – the most popular choice
- Planned-replacement lenses – slight downturn
- Extended-wear lenses – rapid growth from a small base
- Rigid lenses – the impact of torics
- Contact lens solutions
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- Figure 20: UK retail sales of contact lens solution, by value, 1999-2004
- Solutions by type
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- Figure 21: UK retail sales of contact lens solution, by type and value, 2001 and 2003
- Eyecare products
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- Figure 22: UK retail sales of other eyecare products, by value, at current and constant 1999 prices, 1999-2004
The Supply Structure
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- Companies and brands
- Charmant
- Continental Eyewear
- De Rigo
- Inspecs
- L’Amy
- Luxottica
- Marchon
- Marcolyn
- Norville Group
- Safilo
- Silhouette
- Viva Eyewear UK
- Lens suppliers
- Essilor
- Rodenstock
- Sola
- Carl Zeiss
- Prescription optics
- Contact lens suppliers
- Bausch & Lomb
- Ciba Vision
- CooperVision
- Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Vistakon)
- Others
- Contact lens solution suppliers
- Eyecare solutions
- New product trends
Advertising and Promotion
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- Above the line
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- Figure 23: Main monitored media advertising for opticians, and percentage of market value, 1999-2003
- Advertising spend by main sector
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- Figure 24: Main monitored media advertising expenditure on eyecare products, by sector, 1999-2003
- Top advertisers
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- Figure 25: Main monitored media advertising expenditure by opticians, by selected high-spending advertiser in 2003
- Advertising spend on spectacle frames and contact lenses
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- Figure 26: Main monitored media advertising expenditure on prescription frames/contact lenses, by selected high-spending advertiser in 2003
- Advertising spend on eyecare and drops
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- Figure 27: Main monitored media advertising expenditure on eyecare/drops, by selected high-spending advertiser in 2003
- Below the line
Distribution
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- Figure 28: UK retail sales of optical goods and eyecare, by type of outlet and value, 2001 and 2003
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- Figure 29: Estimated market shares of optical goods and eyecare sales, 2001 and 2003
- Figure 30: Major opticians in the UK, by number of outlets, 2001 and 2003
- Franchising
- Direct supply
- Specsavers
- Boots Opticians
- Dollond & Aitchison
- Vision Express
- Optical Express
- Other small and medium-sized opticians chains
- Supermarkets
- Asda
- Tesco
- Costco
- Online retailers
- Laser surgery
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The Consumer
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- Usage of glasses and contacts
- Summary and recommendations
- Targeting computer users
- Contact lens wearers
- The young and the moneyless
- Catering for families and workers
- Wearing of glasses
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- Figure 31: Wearing of glasses, June 2004
- Driving spectacles
- Wearing of contact lenses
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- Figure 32: Wearing of contact lenses, June 2004
- The majority are non-wearers
- Demographic breakdown – glasses and contacts
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- Figure 33: Wearing of glasses or contact lenses, June 2004
- Age is the most powerful differentiator
- Contact use has an upmarket bias
- Educating prospective users
- Adapting to the working user
- A family affair
- Detailed demographics – wearing glasses
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- Figure 34: Wearing of glasses, by gender, age and socio-economic group, June 2004
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- Figure 35: Wearing of glasses, by lifestage and Mintel’s Special Groups, June 2004
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- Figure 36: Wearing of glasses, by marital status, working status and presence of children, June 2004
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- Figure 37: Wearing of glasses, by region and ACORN category, June 2004
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- Figure 38: Wearing of glasses, by media usage, commercial TV viewing and supermarket usage, June 2004
- Wearing of glasses or contacts – demographic breakdown
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- Figure 39: Wearing of glasses or contacts, by gender, age and socio-economic group, June 2004
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- Figure 40: Wearing of glasses or contacts, by lifestage and Mintel’s Special Groups, June 2004
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- Figure 41: Wearing of glasses or contacts, by marital status, working status and presence of children, June 2004
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- Figure 42: Wearing of glasses or contacts, by region and ACORN category, June 2004
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- Figure 43: Wearing of glasses or contacts, by media usage, commercial TV viewing and supermarket usage, June 2004
The Consumer: Attitudes and Typologies
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- Summary and recommendations
- Loyalty and new avenues
- Unlocking the contact lens market
- Contacts vs glasses
- Attitudes towards opticians
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- Figure 44: Attitudes towards opticians, June 2004
- Personal service at the top
- Fostering loyalty
- Acceptable timescales
- Attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction
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- Figure 45: Attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, June 2004
- Durable vanity
- The potential of the contact lens market
- Frames vs lenses
- The importance of a wide choice
- Assessing Key Target Groups – Consumer Typologies
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- Figure 46: Optical goods consumer typologies, June 2004
- Glasses Advocates (14% of sample)
- Quality Key (27% of sample)
- Discount Specs (13% of sample)
- Design Safe (24% of sample)
- Image Invaluable (21% of sample)
- Glasses Advocates and Quality Key – the higher end of the spectrum
- A mixed bag
- What the customer types think of eyewear
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- Figure 47: Optical goods consumer typologies, by wearing of glasses, June 2004
- A wide range of eyewear needs for Glasses Advocates
- Specs to last
- Function at a cut price
- Design Safe – first timers
- Image and contact lenses
- How different typologies choose an optician
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- Figure 48: Optical goods consumer typologies, by primary factors in shopping for glasses, June 2004
- Usage of different types of eyewear and optician choice
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- Figure 49: Usage of glasses or contacts, by primary factors in shopping for glasses, June 2004
- Influence of type of eyewear in attitudes
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- Figure 50: Usage of glasses and contacts, by attitudes towards shopping for glasses, June 2004
- Detailed demographics
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- Figure 51: Most popular attitudes towards opticians, by gender, age and socio-economic group, June 2004
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- Figure 52: Most popular attitudes towards opticians, by lifestage, presence of children and Mintel’s Special Groups, June 2004
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- Figure 53: Most popular attitudes towards opticians, by marital status, working status and household size, June 2004
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- Figure 54: Most popular attitudes towards opticians, by region and ACORN category, June 2004
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- Figure 55: Most popular attitudes towards opticians, by media usage, commercial TV viewing and supermarket usage, June 2004
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- Figure 56: Further attitudes towards opticians, by gender, age and socio-economic group, June 2004
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- Figure 57: Further attitudes towards opticians, by lifestage, presence of children and Mintel’s Special Groups, June 2004
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- Figure 58: Further attitudes towards opticians, by marital status, working status and household size, June 2004
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- Figure 59: Further attitudes towards opticians, by region and ACORN category, June 2004
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- Figure 60: Further attitudes towards opticians, by commercial TV viewing, media usage and supermarket usage, June 2004
- Attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction
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- Figure 61: Most popular attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, by gender, age and socio-economic group, June 2004
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- Figure 62: Most popular attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, by lifestage, presence of children and Mintel’s Special Groups, June 2004
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- Figure 63: Most popular attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, by marital status, working status and household size, June 2004
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- Figure 64: Most popular attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, by region and ACORN category, June 2004
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- Figure 65: Most popular attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, by media usage, commercial TV viewing and supermarket usage, June 2004
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- Figure 66: Further attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, by gender, age and socio-economic group, June 2004
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- Figure 67: Further attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, by lifestage, presence of children and Mintel’s Special Groups, June 2004
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- Figure 68: Further attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, by marital status, working status and household size, June 2004
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- Figure 69: Further attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, by region and ACORN category, June 2004
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- Figure 70: Further attitudes towards eyewear and vision correction, by media usage, commercial TV viewing and supermarket usage, June 2004
- Consumer typologies
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- Figure 71: Typologies, by gender, age and socio-economic group, June 2004
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- Figure 72: Typologies, by lifestage and Mintel’s Special Groups, June 2004
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- Figure 73: Typologies, by marital status, working status and presence of children, June 2004
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- Figure 74: Typologies, by region and ACORN category, June 2004
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- Figure 75: Typologies, by media usage, commercial TV viewing and supermarket usage, June 2004
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- Figure 76: Typologies, by attitudes towards glasses, June 2004
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- Figure 77: Usage of glasses or contacts, by wearing of glasses, June 2004
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- Figure 78: Usage of glasses or contacts, by typologies, June 2004
The Future
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- Ageing population means underlying growth in demand
- Market will polarise
- Economic slowdown could create stagnation
- Spectacle market
- Contact lens market
- Solutions market
- Opticians will continue to dominate
- Outlook
Forecast
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- Healthy growth overall
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- Figure 79: Forecast of the optical goods and eyecare products market at current prices, 2004-09
- Figure 80: Forecast of the optical goods and eyecare products market at constant prices, 2004-09
- Spectacles
- Sight tests
- Contact lenses
- Contact lens solutions
- Eyecare products
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- Figure 81: Forecast of the optical goods and eyecare products market at 2004 prices, 2004-09
- Factors used to forecast
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