TSO Network Update -February 2018

February 2018 l 13 Lenses by the Numbers New Survey Data Brings Lens Sales Trends into Focus The 2017 Premium Lens MarketPulse Survey of eyecare practitioners provides fresh insights into the types of spectacle lens designs, materials and treatments being prescribed and dispensed by independent optical retailers. These highlights from 20/20’s exclusive annual study provide valuable data that can help an independent eyecare practice or retail store benchmark its lens sales against the 251 other independents who participated in the survey. TOTAL SALES Compared to three years ago, 62 percent of retailers said that spectacle lenses and treatments made up a larger percentage of their location’s total gross dollar sales in 2016. In 2016, 53 percent said pricing on spectacle lenses and treatments has increased compared to three years ago as well, and 45 percent said that Rx sun lenses as a percentage of total dollar sales increased over the same period. LENS SALES When asked to rank lens design by popularity, standard or aspheric single vision was ranked most popular by 47 percent of retailers. Customized or personalized progressives were ranked most popular by 30 percent, and standard progressives were ranked most popular by 14 percent. A little more than one-third of retailers (37 percent) said less than 3 percent of single vision Rxs sold are digitally enhanced. Sixty-two percent of retailers said less than 3 percent of single vision digitally enhanced lenses use actual vertex, tilts and wrap measurements done in the office by the retailer. More than two-thirds (71 percent) of retailers said that customized or personalized progressives lenses made up a greater proportion of their total lens sales in 2016 than they had versus three years ago, and 48 percent said computer/variable focus sales had increased over the last three years, while 38 percent said that sales of standard progressives had decreased as a percentage of total lens sales over the last three years, respectively. Seventy-nine percent prefer lens manufacturer brands over lab private labels for digital progressive lenses. COMPUTER/OFFICE LENSES Almost all retailers surveyed (93 percent) say they determine whether a patient should have computer lenses by their occupation/vocation as opposed to add power. LENS MATERIALS When asked to rank lens material by popularity, polycarbonate was ranked most popular by 50 percent of the retailers. Standard plastic was ranked most popular by 29 percent. Tribrid, the newest material, was ranked least popular by the most retailers (52 percent). Fifty-three percent of retailers said that their 2016 polycarbonate lens sales increased as a proportion of total lens pair sales compared to one year ago. Forty-nine percent and 41 percent said the same about their super high-index lens and Trivex lenses, respectively. Sixty percent said that their mid-index lens sales had stayed flat. Glass was the worst performer, with 55 percent saying that glass made up a smaller proportion of their total lens sales in 2016 than last year. LENS TREATMENTS Eighty-eight percent of retailers said they offer a new AR lens that also reduced blue light. Forty-eight percent switched some of the products to ones where material substrate is instead attenuating blue light. They say it has replaced, on average, 20 percent of standard AR. continued on next page