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.

GROSS REVENUE 3-YEAR TREND

The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations decreased substantially by -19 index points last week (July 4-10) as a result of the Fourth of July holiday occurring at the beginning of the period of time being tracked. That places gross revenue at a level 3 index points above where it was at this point in time (Week 28) when compared with last year. Gross revenue this year was 15 points below 2020 and 11 points below 2019 during Week 28 because Independence Day fell during Week 27 of those two years.

BUSINESS METRICS

All optical sales categories were down last week when compared with the previous week due to the Fourth of July holiday. In addition to gross revenue declining at the highest rate of -19 index points, all other categories decreased by nearly as much. Frame units were down -18 points, both exams/refractions and lens pairs were down -17 points, and contact lenses were down -16 points. When comparing last week’s optical sales with the same period last year, all categories were down except one. Other than gross revenue, which was up 2 index points when comparing Week 28 of this year with the same time period last year, the other categories were down by either -2 index points (exams/refractions and contact lenses) or by -3 index points (frame units and lens pairs).

SNAPSHOT

With all optical sales declining last week when compared with the previous week, all categories are at levels below an average week in 2019 (the index baseline assigned a value of 100 for this Optical Business Tracker). They range from gross revenue, the closest to the 100-index-point benchmark at 92 index points, to exams/refractions, lens pairs, and frame units, all at 79 index points. The contact lenses category was at 84 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.