This tracker measures sales trends comparing pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, and post-pandemic.

We selected 1,500 optical locations that have been operating and reporting their sales to our partners, GPN and ABB Analyze, since 2019. We re-based the index to an average week in 2019. This new index base will be used as an arbitrary benchmark and assigned a value of 100.

As 2023 comes to a close, here is a summary of
how the index has moved over the years by category.

Year End Index Averages

With the conclusion of the year 2023, let’s take a step back and have a look at the past through 5 years of the Jobson Index Tracker. The year end average for gross revenue ended at an all-time high in 2023 at 115 index points, following the trend of a steady and consistent yearly increase from the 2020 COVID 19 pandemic. This gross revenue increase happened alongside a slight overall decrease from the index baseline in the other sales categories. The discrepancy in gross revenue vs the other categories indicates higher pricing per-unit, which results in more gross revenue despite the slight decrease in sales volume. Exams/refractions ended the year at an index value of 97. The category has been following a slow trend upwards throughout the years, but has not yet returned to the pre-pandemic baseline of 100. Frames units and lens pairs both end the year at 99 index points. The trendlines for these two categories are nearly identical as they are complementary goods typically purchased together. Lastly, contact lenses is the only category that has been trending downwards post-pandemic and has a 2023 year end average of 91 index points.

*The index baseline was developed by Jobson Research from total sales from an average week in 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 1,500 independent eye care practices.

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

you may also reach out to GPN/EDGEPro and ABB Analyze directly.