Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Consumer spend on optical goods and services, 2009-19
- Figure 2: Consumer spend on non-prescription sunglasses, 2009-19
- Figure 3: Consumer spend on optical goods and services, by category, 2014 (est)
- Market factors
- Companies, brands and innovation
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- Figure 4: Distribution of optical goods and services, by value, UK, 2014 (est)
- The consumer
- Who had an eye test?
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- Figure 5: Had an eye test in the last twelve months, by age, November 2014
- About the last eye test
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- Figure 6: About the last eye test, November 2014
- Who wears glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses?
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- Figure 7: Wearers of glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses, November 2014
- Figure 8: Purchases of eyewear in the last twelve months, November 2014
- Retailers used
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- Figure 9: Retailers used for last purchase of eyewear, by type, November 2014
- About the last eyewear purchase
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- Figure 10: About the last eyewear purchase, November 2014
- Attitudes to eyewear
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- Figure 11: Attitudes to eyewear, November 2014
- Three target groups for eyewear
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- Figure 12: Attitudes to eyewear, target groups, November 2014
- Interest in eyewear for using screens
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- Figure 13: Using screens with eyewear, November 2014
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- How much are discounts influencing demand?
- The facts
- The implications
- Do people who use screen-based technology want special eyewear?
- The facts
- The implications
- Will supermarkets come to dominate optics?
- The facts
- The implications
Trend Application
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- Trend: FSTR HYPR
- Trend: Return to the Experts
- Trend: Old Gold
Market Size and Segmentation
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- Key points
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- Figure 14: Consumer spend on optical goods and services, 2009-19
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- Figure 15: Consumer spend on non-prescription sunglasses, 2009-19
- Total spend on optical goods and services
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- Figure 16: Consumer spend on optical goods and services, 2009-14
- Figure 17: Consumer spend on optical goods and services, by category, 2014 (est)
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- Figure 18: Consumer spend on optical goods and services, by category, 2009-14
- Sunglasses
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- Figure 19: Consumer spend on plano (non-prescription) sunglasses, 2009-14
Competitive Context
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- Key points
- Optical goods in the context of retail sales
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- Figure 20: Retail sales, non-food stores, medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries, other specialists and optical goods, 2009-14
- Laser eyesight correction poses a direct challenge
- Ready readers are an alternative to spectacles
- New technology
Market Environment
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- Key points
- 83% of homes have a laptop computer
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- Figure 21: Household ownership of consumer technology products, October 2014
- 74% own a smartphone
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- Figure 22: Personal ownership of consumer technology products, October 2014
- Population by age
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- Figure 23: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2009-19
- More kids
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- Figure 24: Wearers of glasses, contact lenses and sunglasses, by age, November 2014
- The economy is recovering
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- Figure 25: Trends in how respondents would describe their financial situation, February 2009 and January 2015
- People are feeling better off
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- Figure 26: Trends in consumer sentiment for the coming year, February 2009 and January 2015
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- Smart eyewear
- Retail innovations
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- Figure 27: Black & Lizars’ Edinburgh flagship, 2014
- Personal eye-health reports
- Cutting down on blue light
- Heritage-inspired eyewear
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- Figure 28: Monocles for the modern man
- New entrant in the market
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- Figure 29: John Lewis Opticians, Stratford
- Blood pressure checks
- Eye-enhancing lenses
Companies and Products
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- Key points
- Suppliers of spectacle frames and sunglasses
- Luxottica
- Brands
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- Figure 30: Luxottica brands
- Financial performance
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- Figure 31: Financial performance of the Luxottica Group, 2010-13
- Safilo
- Brands
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- Figure 32: Safilo brands
- Financial performance
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- Figure 33: Financial performance of Safilo, 2010-13
- Marchon Eyewear
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- Figure 34: Marchon brands
- De Rigo
- Brands
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- Figure 35: De Rigo brands
- Financial performance
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- Figure 36: De Rigo financial data, 2011-13
- Fabris Lane
- Other suppliers of spectacle frames and sunglasses
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- Figure 37: Key suppliers of spectacle frames and sunglasses to the UK optical goods market
- Suppliers of spectacle lenses
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- Figure 38: Key suppliers of spectacle lenses to the UK optical goods market
- Suppliers of contact lenses and contact lens solutions
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- Figure 39: Key suppliers of contact lenses and contact lens solutions
Channels to Market
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- Key points
- Specialists dominate distribution
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- Figure 40: Distribution of optical goods by retailer, 2014 (est)
- Concentration of the sector
- Alternative suppliers
- Online selling
- The march of the supermarkets
- 4,700 independents
- John Lewis opens first in-store opticians
- Franchises and non-core products
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- Figure 41: Distribution of Optical goods, estimate, 2010-14
Retailer Profiles
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- Boots Opticians
- Financial performance
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- Figure 42: Boots financial data, 2011-14
- Optical Express
- Financial performance
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- Figure 43: Optical Express financial data, 2012-13
- Specsavers
- Financial performance
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- Figure 44: Specsavers financial data, 2011-14
- Vision Express
- Financial performance
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- Figure 45: Vision Express financial data, 2010-13
- Other opticians chains
- Supermarket opticians
- Asda
- Tesco Opticians
- Sainsbury’s
- Morrisons
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Advertising spend up 27% in four years
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- Figure 46: Above-the-line advertising expenditure on optical goods and eyecare, by company, 2011-14
- Advertising dominated by the big three
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- Figure 47: Above-the-line advertising expenditure on optical goods and eyecare, by company, 2014
- Figure 48: Above-the-line advertising expenditure on optical goods and eyecare, by company, 2011-2014
Brand Research – Optical Goods Retailing
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- What you need to know
- Brand map
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- Figure 49: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, December 2014
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 50: Key metrics for selected brands, December 2014
- Brand attitudes: Vision Express positioned as premium, Specsavers and Boots Opticians are considered more reliable and accessible
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- Figure 51: Attitudes, by brand, December 2014
- Brand personality: Specsavers’ advertising drives an upbeat brand image
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- Figure 52: Brand personality – Macro image, December 2014
- Specsavers and Boots Opticians have high association with customer service traits
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- Figure 53: Brand personality – micro image, December 2014
- Brand analysis
- Specsavers combines value, customer service and an upbeat brand image to appeal to a wide range of consumers
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- Figure 54: User profile of Specsavers – ever used, December 2014
- Boots Opticians boasts strong accessibility and customer service associations
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- Figure 55: User profile of Boots Opticians – ever used, December 2014
- Tesco Opticians’ lack of exposure results in a weaker brand image, but there are signs for potential growth
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- Figure 56: User profile of Tesco Opticians – ever used, December 2014
- Vision Express’s premium image risks expensive and overrated associations
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- Figure 57: User profile of Vision Express – ever used, December 2014
- Optical Express’s point of difference struggles to impact on older consumers
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- Figure 58: User profile of Optical Express – Ever used, December 2014
The Consumer – Eye Tests
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- Key points
- Eye tests in the last 12 months
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- Figure 59: Had an eye test in the last twelve months, November 2014
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- Figure 60: Had an eye test in the last twelve months, by age, November 2014
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- Figure 61: Had an eye test in the last twelve months, by financial situation, November 2014
- Uptake of special offers for eye tests
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- Figure 62: Eye test special offers, by age, November 2014
- About the last eye test
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- Figure 63: About the last eye test, November 2014
- Switching for deals
- Loyalty matters
- Arrangements with employers
- Inconvenient?
- Technology
The Consumer – Users of Glasses, Sunglasses or Contact Lenses
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- Key points
- Users of glasses, sunglasses or contact lenses
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- Figure 64: Wearers of glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses, November 2014
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- Figure 65: Wearers of glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses, by gender and age, November 2014
- Wearing glasses increases with age
- Young profile for contact lens wearers
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- Figure 66: Wearers of contact lenses, by income, November 2014
The Consumer – Purchases of Eyewear
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- Key points
- Purchases of eyewear
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- Figure 67: Purchases of eyewear in the last twelve months, November 2014
- More than half buy glasses
- 12% buy contact lenses
- Over-65s most likely to buy prescription sunglasses
- Under-45s buy most ready-to-wear sunglasses
- Baby Boomers most likely to buy ready readers
- People who had eye tests most likely to buy
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- Figure 68: Purchases of eyewear in the last twelve months, by eye test, November 2014
- Special offers on glasses
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- Figure 69: Took advantage of a special offer on glasses, by age, November 2014
The Consumer – Retailers Used for Eyewear
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- Key points
- Retailers used for eyewear
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- Figure 70: Retailers used for last purchase of eyewear, by type, November 2014
- Specsavers is the most-used optician
- Independents appeal to retired people
- Where they bought, by type of eyewear
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- Figure 71: Retailers used for last purchase of eyewear, by type, November 2014
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- Figure 72: Retailers used for last purchase of eyewear, by type, November 2014 (continued)
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- Figure 73: Retailers used, by factors about the last eyewear purchase, November 2014
The Consumer – About the Last Eyewear Purchase
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- Key points
- About the last eyewear purchase
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- Figure 74: About the last eyewear purchase, November 2014
- Older shoppers more loyal
- Almost half of younger shoppers used a different optician this time
- 16-44s shopping online to save money
The Consumer – Attitudes to Eyewear
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- Key points
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- Figure 75: Attitudes to eyewear, November 2014
- Three key target groups
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- Figure 76: Attitudes to eyewear, target groups, November 2014
- Eyewear Neutral (33%)
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- Figure 77: Attitudes to buying optical goods, Eyewear Neutral target group, November 2014
- Premium Eyewear (33%)
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- Figure 78: Attitudes to buying optical goods, Premium Eyewear target group, November 2014
- Delayers (34%)
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- Figure 79: Attitudes to buying optical goods, Delayers target group, November 2014
The Consumer – Using Screens with Eyewear
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- Key points
- Using screens with eyewear
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- Figure 80: Using screens with eyewear, November 2014
- Cutting down glare
- Good vision at different distances
- Comfortable eyes
- Older people least interested in glasses for use with screens
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