Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Sales wane as pandemic surges
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- Figure 1: Total US retail sales and forecast of eyeglasses and contact lenses, at current prices, 2015-25
- Impact of COVID-19 on vision health
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- Figure 2: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on vision health management, December 2020
- Challenges and opportunities
- Turn reactive behaviors into proactive care
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- Figure 3: Motivations to visit the eye doctor, September 2020
- Give consumers the expert guidance they want
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- Figure 4: Location of last vision exam, September 2020
- Vision health brands must offer a connected experience
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- Figure 5: Trial and interest in vision health services, September 2020
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Vision health market sales decline due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Prescription glasses dominate market share
- The blue light battle
- Self-care strategies can bolster preventive vision health
- Digital offerings can bring convenience to vision health services
Market Size and Forecast
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- Pandemic restrictions responsible for decline in market sales
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- Figure 6: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of eyeglasses and contact lenses, at current prices, 2015-25
- Figure 7: Total US retail sales and forecast of eyeglasses and contact lenses, at current prices, 2015-25
- Impact of COVID-19 on vision health
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- Figure 8: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on vision health management, December 2020
- Lockdown
- Re-emergence
- Recovery
- COVID-19: US context
- Learnings from the last recession
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- Figure 9: Total US sales and forecast of eyeglasses, contacts and eye/lens care products, at current prices, 2007-12
Segment Performance
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- Prescription eyeglasses drive the market
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- Figure 10: Total US retail sales of eyeglasses and contact lenses, by segment, at current prices, 2015-20
- Figure 11: Total US retail sales of eyeglasses and contact lenses, by segment, at current prices, 2018 and 2020
Market Factors
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- Unemployment spikes and confidence wavers as a result of pandemic
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- Figure 12: Consumer confidence and unemployment, January 2007-October 2020
- Aging population benefits category
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- Figure 13: Population aged 18 or older, by age, 2014-24
Market Opportunities
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- COVID-19 expands opportunities for protection against electronic screens
- Parents will pay for protection
- Self-care and added health benefits can expand vision health solutions
- Enabling convenience through digital vision health services
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Independent vision care retailers lead the market
- Most adults have annual eye exams and rely on medical professionals
- Direct-to-consumer brands succeed amid pandemic lockdown
- Retailers expand virtual vision care
- Innovative response to foggy lenses
Market Share
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- Independent vision care retailers lead the market
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- Figure 14: Share of US retail sales of eyeglasses and contact lenses, by channel, at current prices, 2020
- Department stores face challenging retail environment
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- Figure 15: Total US retail sales of eyeglasses and contact lenses, by channel, at current prices, 2018 and 2020
- Reliance on corrective eyewear supports need for frequent vision exams
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- Figure 16: Vision exam status, September 2020
- Income impacts vision exam status
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- Figure 17: Vision exam status, by income, September 2020
- Eye doctor’s office are the go-to for vision exams
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- Figure 18: Location of last vision exam, September 2020
- Young adults have less dependence on medical professional
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- Figure 19: Location of last vision exam, by age, September 2020
Competitive Strategies
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- Direct-to-consumer strategies gain momentum
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- Figure 20: Total US “other” channel retail sales of eyeglasses and contact lenses, at current prices, 2015-20
- Retailers replace the in-store experience with virtual tools
- Solving a problem for eyeglass wearers
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- Figure 21: Warby Parker clean my lenses kit, September 2020
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Most adults rely on some type of corrective eyewear
- Corrective eyewear purchases require expert guidance
- Lifestyle factors could be leveraged to drive eye doctor visits
- Pandemic drives interest in virtual or at-home vision health services
- All-day wearability is vital when purchasing contact lenses
- Turning blue light awareness to actionable product purchase
Usage of Corrective Eyewear Solutions
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- Corrective eyewear is a part of life
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- Figure 22: Usage of corrective eyewear solutions, September 2020
- Corrective eyewear has near total penetration among adults aged 55+
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- Figure 23: Usage of corrective eyewear solutions, by age, September 2020
- Product discounts can drive spending with lower income consumers
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- Figure 24: Usage of corrective eyewear solutions, by income, September 2020
Corrective Eyewear Purchase Location and Incentives
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- Consumers prefer the one-stop-shop approach to purchasing eyewear
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- Figure 25: Location of last vision exam, September 2020
- The loyalty of prescription users can be challenged
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- Figure 26: Location of product purchase, by type of corrective eyewear, September 2020
- Consumers are willing to seek out the best possible deal
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- Figure 27: Reasons for purchasing corrective eyewear at location other than eye exam, September 2020
- Young adults are looking for an all-inclusive brand experience
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- Figure 28: Reasons for purchasing corrective eyewear at location other than eye exam, by age, September 2020
Motivations to Visit the Eye Doctor
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- Connecting vision to overall health can bolster preventive behaviors
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- Figure 29: Motivations to visit the eye doctor, September 2020
- Eye strain/fatigue will encourage sufferers to seek medical help
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- Figure 30: Attitudes toward screen use, by motivations to visit the eye doctor, September 2020
Trial and Interest in Vision Health Services
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- Interest in digital vision health services has accelerated
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- Figure 31: Trial and interest in vision health services, September 2020
- Young adults show high interest in try-before-you-buy services
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- Figure 32: Trial and interest in vision health services, by age, September 2020
Purchase Influencers of Contact Lenses
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- Wearability is the leading purchase incentive for contact lenses
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- Figure 33: Purchase influencers of contact lenses, September 2020
- Women are interested in functional and intrinsic contact lens claims
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- Figure 34: Purchase influencers of contact lenses, by gender, September 2020
- Older contact lens wearers look for quality and value
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- Figure 35: Purchase influencers of contact lenses, by age, September 2020
Attitudes Toward Screen Use
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- Brands must build awareness of blue light into action
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- Figure 36: Attitudes toward screen use, September 2020
- Parents are a key demographic for screen protection products
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- Figure 37: Attitudes toward screen use, by parental status, July 2017 and September 2020
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 38: Total US retail sales and forecast of eyeglasses and contact lenses, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2015-25
- Figure 39: Total US retail sales and forecast of eyeglasses and contact lenses, by segment, at current prices, 2015-20
- Figure 40: Total US retail sales of eyeglasses and contact lenses, by channel, at current prices, 2015-20
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