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

ECP BUSINESS METRICS

For the third week in a row, optical sales experienced a decline on the national level. This past week’s substantial decreases in optical sales can be attributed to the Labor Day holiday, which was the first day of the most recent week for which metrics were tracked (Sept. 7-Sept. 13). All service/product categories were down by index points in the mid-teens, ranging from -14 index points for contact lenses to -17 index points for frame units and lens pairs. This follows declines of index points in only the single digits for the past couple of weeks.

REGIONAL BREAKOUT

Regionally, optical sales in all service/product categories in all four Census regions were down substantially due to the Labor Day holiday. Among the regional highlights were the smallest decline of -10 index points for contact lenses in the Northeast and the largest declines of -18 index points in the Midwest for exams/refractions, frame units and lens pairs. The Midwest suffering the greatest losses across the board when compared with the other three Census regions corresponds with the fact that it also had the largest number of states (eight) experiencing increasing numbers of cases of COVID-19, according to the CDC COVID Data Tracker. All other categories in all other regions were down by index points ranging from -12 to -17.

*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.

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