Eyecare Business September 2019

1. Online Sales: Just under 5% of eyeglass frames sold in the 12 months ending September 2018 were bought online, according to research done by the Vision Council. That is, however, an 11% year-to-year increase in unit sales. That growth rate has pretty much stayed the same since 2014.
2. Online Dollar Volume: As for revenue, sales of optical products online rang in at $2.13 billion for the 12 months ending December 2018. That’s up 9.2% from a year earlier.
3. Plano Sales: This is an entirely different story. “During the 12ME period September 2018…up to 9.3 million American adults purchased plano sunglasses directly over the internet,” reports the Vision Council.
4. Internet Users: Among American adults who indicated in 2018 research they used the Internet to purchase eyewear over a six-month period, 24% bought Rx eyewear and 31% plano sunwear.