Table of Contents
Introduction
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- Definition
- Excluded
- Abbreviations
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Consumer spend on optical goods and services, 2007-17
- Figure 2: Consumer spend on optical goods, by segment, 2012
- Market factors
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- Figure 3: Wearers of glasses, by age and socio-economic group, 2012
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- Figure 4: Wearers of contact lenses and those who have had laser surgery, by age and socio-economic group, 2012
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Retail distribution
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- Figure 5: Retail distribution of optical goods, 2012 (est)
- The consumer
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- Figure 6: What people use to correct their vision, glasses by type of lens, December 2012
- Figure 7: What people use to correct their vision, contact lenses by modality, December 2012
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- Figure 8: Last had eye test, December 2012
- Figure 9: Last purchased glasses, December 2012
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- Figure 10: Last had a contact lens appointment and bought new prescription contact lenses, December 2012
- Figure 11: Opticians used for glasses or contact lenses, December 2012
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- Figure 12: Consumer attitudes towards optical goods, December 2012
- Figure 13: Target groups, December 2012
- What we think
Issues in the Market
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- Is the ‘special offer’ culture here to stay?
- What impact will online shopping have on conventional opticians?
- How influential is style in driving demand for spectacles?
- Will people buy their glasses from a supermarket opticians?
- Is laser eyesight correction a threat to mainstream opticians?
Trend Application
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- Trend: The Suite Life
- Trend: Agelessness
- 2015 trend: Old Gold
Internal Market Environment
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- Key points
- Glasses and contact lens wearers
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- Figure 14: Wearers of glasses, contact lenses and those who have laser surgery, 2008-12
- How spectacle wearing varies by age group
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- Figure 15: Wearers of glasses, by age and socio-economic group, 2012
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- Figure 16: Wearers of contact lenses and those who have had laser surgery, by age and socio-economic group, 2012
- Who wears designer frames?
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- Figure 17: Wear designer branded frames, 2009-12
- Importance of fashion
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- Figure 18: Consumer attitudes towards personal appearance, 2008-12
Broader Market Environment
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- Key points
- Ageing population positive for sales of optical goods
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- Figure 19: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2007-17
- The socio-economic profile is shifting
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- Figure 20: Forecast adult population trends, by socio-economic group, 2007-17
- Internet penetration reaches three quarters of adults
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- Figure 21: Broadband penetration, 2008-12
- Slight downturn in number of drivers
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- Figure 22: Number of drivers and average mileage driven per year, 2008-12
- Screen-based activity increases
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- Figure 23: Use of the internet, televisions and mobile phones, 2010-12
- Hobbies and pursuits
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- Figure 24: Hobbies and interests, 2009-12
- Trends in reading
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- Figure 25: Trends in reading, 2011 and 2012
Trade Associations and Industry Bodies
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- Association of British Dispensing Opticians
- General Optical Council
- Association of Optometrists
- Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians
- The Eyecare Trust
- Association of Contact Lens Manufacturers
- Optical Confederation
- NHS funding for Scotland
- NHS funding for Wales
- Other legislative developments
Competitive Context
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- Key points
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- Figure 26: Retail sales in the UK, by broad sector, 2008-12
- Figure 27: Consumer spending on optical goods expressed as a percentage of all non-food retailers and of other specialist non-food retailers, 2008-12
- Annual growth patterns in retailing
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- Figure 28: Annual growth of retail sales in the UK, by broad sector, 2008-12
- What’s happening online?
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- Figure 29: Internet sales as a percentage of all retailing, December 2006-December 2012
- Major out of town shopping developments
- Laser eyesight correction
- Ready readers
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- In-store initiatives
- …Hoya’s iPad-based measuring system
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- Figure 30: Hoya’s iPad-based measuring system, Spring 2013
- … Allders updates its image
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- Figure 31: Revamped Allders Opticians Outlet, Summer 2012
- Contact lens innovations
- … reshaping the eye
- … diabetic monitoring through contact lenses
- … new multifocal contact lenses
- Innovative spectacles
- … sustainability
- Spectacle lens developments
- Lens mail
- Online developments
- Fashion trends
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- The optical goods market
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- Figure 32: Consumer spending on optical goods and services, 2008-12
- Figure 33: Consumer spending on optical goods and services, 2007-17
- Forecast
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- Figure 34: Consumer spend on optical goods and services, 2007-17
- Consumer spending by segment
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- Figure 35: Consumer spending on optical goods, by segment, 2008-12
- Specs suffer in tough economic conditions
- Contact lenses continue to perform
- Lens solutions suffer a decrease
- Eye exams rising
- Innovation helps eye care markets
Companies and Products
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- Spectacle frames
- Luxottica
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- Figure 36: Financial performance of the Luxottica Group, 2010 and 2011
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- Figure 37: Luxottica brands
- Safilo Group
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- Figure 38: Financial performance Safilo Group, 2010 and 2011
- Figure 39: Safilo Group’s brands
- Marchon Eyewear, Inc.
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- Figure 40: Financial performance Marchon UK Ltd, 2010 and 2011
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- Figure 41: Marchon Brands
- De Rigo
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- Figure 42: Financial performance De Rigo UK Ltd, 20010 and 2011
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- Figure 43: De Rigo’s Brands
- Other spectacle frame suppliers
- Brulimar Optical Group
- Charmant
- Continental Eyewear
- Dunelm Optical
- Inspecs
- The Norville Group
- Silhouette
- Viva Eyewear
- Spectacle lens suppliers
- BBGR
- Carl Zeiss Vision
- Essilor
- Nikon Optical UK
- Rodenstock
- Seiko Optical UK
- Signet Armorlite Europe
- Contact lens and solution suppliers
- Alcon/Ciba Vision
- Bausch & Lomb
- CooperVision
- Johnson & Johnson Vision Care
- Sauflon
- Eye care providers
Advertising and Promotion
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- Key points
- Advertising spend falls
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- Figure 44: Topline adspend on optical goods, laser surgery and eye care, 2008-12
- Figure 45: Topline adspend on optical goods, laser surgery and eye care, 2008-12
- The sector’s largest advertisers
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- Figure 46: Above-the-line advertising expenditure on optical goods, laser surgery and eye care, by company, 2008-12
- Figure 47: Above-the-line advertising expenditure on optical goods, laser surgery and eye care, by company, 2011
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- Figure 48: Above-the-line advertising expenditure on optical goods, laser surgery and eye care, by company, 2008-12
- Advertising spend by media type
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- Figure 49: Topline adspend on optical goods, laser surgery, and eye care, by media type, 2008-12
- Figure 50: Topline ad spend on optical goods, laser surgery, and eye care, by media type, 2008-12
- Advertising spend by product category
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- Figure 51: Topline ad spend on optical goods, laser surgery, and eye care, by product category, 2008-12
- Figure 52: Topline ad spend on optical goods, laser surgery, and eye care, by product category, 2008-12
- Health and safety campaigns
- Marketing campaigns
- Specsavers uses celebrities and humour
- Vision Express raises awareness of free eye exams for kids
- Advertising standards rulings
Channels to Market
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- Key points
- Retail distribution
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- Figure 53: Retail distribution of optical goods and eye care, by value, 2008 and 2011
- The big four own two thirds of the market
- Share slides for Boots/D&A as the company consolidates
- Vision Express gains ground
- Optical Express
- Independents
- Internet sellers
- Supermarkets
- Retailer profiles
- Boots Opticians
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- Figure 54: Boots Opticians financial performance and store numbers, 2011 and 2012.
- Optical Express
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- Figure 55: DCM Optical Holdings Limited, UK financial performance and store numbers, 2010 and 2011
- Specsavers
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- Figure 56: Specsavers, UK financial performance and store numbers, 2010-11
- Vision Express
- Regional and independent chains
- Supermarkets
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- Figure 57: Mee healthcare outlet at Sainsbury’s, 2012
- Internet specialists
- Online activity
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- Figure 58: Unique online visitors (000s) in August 2012
The Consumer – What People Use to Correct Their Vision
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- Key points
- Spectacle wearers outnumber contact lens wearers
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- Figure 59: What people use to correct their vision, December 2012
- Profiling spectacle wearers
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- Figure 60: What people use to correct their vision, spectacles by type of prescription, December 2012
- Profiling contact lens wearers
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- Figure 61: What people use to correct their vision, contact lenses by modality, December 2012
- Laser eye surgery
- Repertoire of optical goods used
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- Figure 62: Repertoire of what people use to correct their vision, December 2012
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- Figure 63: Repertoire of things people use to correct their vision, by product used, December 2012
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- Figure 64: Repertoire of things people use to correct their vision, by product used, December 2012 (continued)
The Consumer– Recent Eye Tests and Purchases
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- Key points
- When was the last eye test?
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- Figure 65: Last had eye test, December 2012
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- Figure 66: Timing of the last eye test, by age, December 2012
- When people last bought glasses
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- Figure 67: Last purchased glasses, December 2012
- When people last bought contact lenses
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- Figure 68: Last had a contact lens appointment and bought new prescription contact lenses, December 2012
- When people last bought glasses and contact lenses
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- Figure 69: Last purchased glasses and contact lenses, December 2012
- How products used affects attendance for eye tests
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- Figure 70: Last had eye test, by products used to correct vision, December 2012
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- Figure 71: Last had eye test, by products used to correct vision, December 2012 (continued)
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- Figure 72: Last purchased glasses, by most popular what people use to correct their vision, December 2012
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- Figure 73: Last purchased glasses, by most popular what people use to correct their vision, December 2012 (continued)
- Contact lens appointments and purchases
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- Figure 74: Last had a contact lens appointment, by what people use to correct their vision, December 2012
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- Figure 75: Last purchased contact lenses, by what people use to correct their vision, December 2012
The Consumer – Where They Purchased Optical Goods
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- Key points
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- Figure 76: Outlets where bought prescription glasses or contact lenses in the last 12 months, December 2012
- Specsavers dominates
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- Figure 77: Outlets where bought prescription glasses in the last 12 months, Specsavers, by age and socio-economic group, December 2012
- How shopper profiles of other opticians vary
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- Figure 78: Outlets where bought prescription glasses in the last 12 months, Boots, Vision Express, Independents and supermarkets, by socio-economic group, December 2012
- Independents attract older ABs
- Boots
- Other opticians
- Is online shopping significant?
The Consumer – Attitudes Towards Spectacles and Contact Lenses
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- Key points
- Attitudes towards spectacles and contact lenses
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- Figure 79: Consumer attitudes towards optical goods, December 2012
- The eye examination is key to the business model
- Reminders a vital marketing tool
- Getting technical
- Laser shows potential
- Style hunters
- What about contact lenses?
The Consumer – Attitudes Towards Buying Glasses
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- Key points
- Attitudes to buying glasses
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- Figure 80: Consumer attitudes towards prescription glasses, December 2012
- Important to keep up to date
- Shocking costs?
- Valuing good vision
- Specs considered better by half
- The discount culture
- Style-conscious
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- Figure 81: Consumer attitudes towards prescription glasses, designer frames, suit me and sense of style, December 2012
The Consumer – Target Groups
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- Figure 82: Target groups, December 2012
- Spectacle Hunters (31%)
- Who are they?
- How do they correct their vision?
- Where do they shop for spectacles and contact lenses?
- What are their attitudes towards opticians and optical goods?
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- Figure 83: Consumer attitudes towards optical goods, by target groups, Spec Hunters, December 2012
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- Figure 84: Consumer attitudes towards spectacles (any agree), by target groups, Spec Hunters, December 2012
- Trendy Specs (35%)
- Who are they?
- How do they correct their vision?
- Where do they shop for spectacles and contact lenses?
- What are their attitudes to opticians and optical goods?
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- Figure 85: Consumer attitudes towards optical goods, by target groups, Trendy Specs, December 2012
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- Figure 86: Consumer attitudes towards spectacles (any agree), by target groups, Trendy Specs, December 2012
- Eye Carers (35%)
- Who are they?
- How do they correct their vision?
- Where do they shop for spectacles and contact lenses?
- What are their attitudes towards opticians and optical goods?
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- Figure 87: Consumer attitudes towards optical goods, by target groups, Eye Carers, December 2012
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- Figure 88: Consumer attitudes towards spectacles (any agree), by target groups, Eye Carers, December 2012
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Appendix – Definitions
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- ACORN
- Advertising data
Appendix – Internal Market Environment
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- Figure 89: Wearers of glasses, contact lenses and those who have laser surgery, by demographics, 2012
- Figure 90: Wear designed branded frames, by demographics, 2012
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- Figure 91: Consumer attitudes towards personal appearance, by demographics, 2012
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Appendix – Broader Market Environment
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- Figure 92: Broadband penetration, by demographics, 2012
- Figure 93: Number of drivers and average mileage driven per year, by demographics, 2012
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- Figure 94: Hobbies and interests, by demographics, 2012
- Figure 95: Hobbies and interests, by demographics, 2012
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Appendix – Consumer – What People Use to Correct Their Vision
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- Figure 96: products people use to correct their vision, top five, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 97: products people use to correct their vision, next five, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 98: Repertoire of what people use to correct their vision, by demographics, December 2012
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Appendix – Consumer – Recent Eye Tests and Purchases
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- Figure 99: Last had eye test, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 100: Last purchased glasses, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 101: Last had a contact lens appointment, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 102: Last purchased contact lenses, by demographics, December 2012
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Appendix – Consumer– Outlets used for Prescription Glasses and Contact Lenses
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- Figure 103: Outlets from where prescription glasses bought in the last 12 months, by demographics, December 2012
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Appendix – Consumer– Attitudes Towards Spectacles and Contact Lenses
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- Figure 104: attitudes towards optical goods, top five, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 105: Attitudes towards optical goods, next five, by demographics, December 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Attitudes Towards Buying Glasses
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- Figure 106: Agreement with the statements ‘Correcting my eyesight is more important than how much it costs’ and ‘Glasses are better for your eyes than contact lenses’, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 107: Agreement with the statements ‘Glasses always end up costing more than you expect once the costs of lenses, coating etc have been included’ and ‘It’s important to update glasses regularly’, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 108: Agreement with the statements ‘A range of frames offered by my optician is not wide enough’ and ‘I prefer to wait for special deals/offers when buying glasses’, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 109: Agreement with the statements ‘I prefer to buy new frames to match current trends or styles’ and ‘I prefer to buy designer frames’, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 110: Agreement with the statements ‘I find it difficult to find glasses that suit me’ and ‘It’s difficult to find frames that fit the lenses I need’, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 111: Agreement with the statements ‘My glasses say a lot about my sense of style’ and ‘Wearing reading glasses is a sign of old age’, by demographics, December 2012
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Appendix – The Consumer – Target Groups
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- Figure 112: Target groups, by demographics, December 2012
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- Figure 113: What people use to correct their vision, by target groups, December 2012
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- Figure 114: Last had eye test, by target groups, December 2012
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- Figure 115: Last purchased glasses, by target groups, December 2012
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- Figure 116: Last had a contact lens appointment, by target groups, December 2012
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- Figure 117: Last purchased contact lenses, by target groups, December 2012
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- Figure 118: Outlets from where prescription glasses/contact lenses bought in the last 12 months, by target groups, December 2012
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- Figure 119: Attitudes towards optical goods, by target groups, December 2012
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- Figure 120: Attitudes towards spectacles (any agree), by target groups, December 2012
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Appendix – Repertoire
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- Figure 121: Repertoire of what people use to correct their vision, by target groups, December 2012
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