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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jobson Optical Research is tracking national and regional optical business metrics for the U.S.

This index baseline was developed by Jobson Research from total sales from an average 7 days in the first quarter of 2019.

ECP BUSINESS METRICS

Nationally, optical sales experienced little change over this past week (Dec. 14-20). Contact lenses were up 2 index points, exams/refractions and lens pairs were each down -1 index point, and gross revenue and frame units showed no change whatsoever. Optical sales remaining effectively flat last week coincided with COVID-19 cases continuing to rise throughout the United States. Over the last seven days, COVID cases increased at a rate of 9.2 percent to a total approaching 18 million, according to the COVID Tracking Project.


REGIONAL BREAKOUT

Regionally, optical sales declined the most in the Northeast and increased the most in the West. Contact lenses continued following their own trajectory. Declines in the Northeast of either -7 index points (gross revenue, exams/refractions, frame units) or -6 index points (lens pairs, contact lenses) were likely due to a major snowstorm that closed roads to traffic for a couple of days. Increases in the West were up either 3 index points (gross revenue, frame units) or 2 index points (lens pairs, contact lenses). The South and Midwest were either flat or up 1 index point across the board, except for a decrease of -3 index points for lens pairs in the Midwest. As always, contact lenses followed their own direction, up 2 points in both the Midwest and West, up 4 points in the South, and down -6 points in the Northeast. New COVID cases in each state also varied, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

*The index baseline was developed by Jobson Research from total sales from an average seven days in the first quarter of 2019.This index baseline is equivalent to a score of 100. All other time periods going forward are calculated as a percent increase or decrease from the 100 baseline index of that period. This index is intended to show directional and magnitudinal change that the market is experiencing. Actual index scores are arbitrary meaning the baseline of 100 is simply used as a benchmark. Jobson Research shall not be held liable for any use or misuse of the data described and/or contained herein.

Please note that practices that use practice analytic systems tend to skew a bit larger and have higher revenue than practices that do not.

Source: GPN/EDGEPro and ABB Analyze contributed anonymous sales data used to determine gross revenue, exams/refractions, frame units, lens pairs, and contact lens boxes. Data was collected from approximately 3,500 independent eye care practices.

Consumer Sentiments

* Percentage of Rx eyewear users that are planning to postpone or cancel their Rx eyewear purchase until conditions are better. "If you need new eyeglasses or contact lenses while COVID-19 is still a threat, which of the following actions are you likely to take?"
** Selected answer option 8, 9 or 10 for the question "On a scale of 1-10 (were 1 = No concern at all and 10 = Extremely concerned) how concerned are you over the recent global COVID-19 threat and outbreak?"

Source: The Vision Council VisionWatch COVID-19 Consumer Sentiment Study.

For additional information, you may reach out to GPN/EDGEPro, ABB Analyze, and The Vision Council directly.

For more information from Jobson Research contact jwaller@jobson.com.

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