What you need to know

The vision health market increased by 11% from 2015-20, reaching an estimated $30.7 billion in US retail sales. Sales of prescription eyeglasses continue to drive the industry, fueled by vision impairment incidence among the growing aging population. The market was negatively impacted by the pandemic as business lockdowns caused consumers to delay routine vision exams and product purchases. Mintel predicts the market will stabilize during the recovery phase, as consumers resume annual medical checkups and update their corrective eyewear needs.

Key issues covered in this Report

  • Impact of COVID-19 on vision health market

  • Pandemic restrictions result in sales decline of corrective eyewear products

  • Opportunity to shift vision health from reactive care to preventive strategies

  • Brands must respond to expanded interest in digital vision health services

Definition

This Report covers sales of corrective eyewear. Prescriptions eyeglasses (lenses and frames) including untinted, tinted, and photochromic lenses.

  • Contact lenses

  • OTC reading glasses

Excluded from this Report are eye/lens care products, non-prescription (plano) sunglasses, eye creams, creams/gels for the skin around the eyes, and prescription eye medications. Boric acid is excluded from the eye care/lens care category as this product has a range of uses and therefore sales cannot be directly linked to eye care.

COVID-19: market context

Consumer research for this Report was fielded in September 2020 and reflects consumers’ attitudes and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic as restrictions on movement began to ease and businesses began to reopen across the US. The Report was written December 2-9, 2020, when all states were open, but some states began rolling back and reinstating restrictions due to increasing COVID-19 cases.

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