Optical Industry Trends*

* Based on Jobson Optical Research Reports
 

Private Practice Eye Care Providers (PPECPs):

• are LOSING 2 to 4% market share per year
• provide 65% of the eye exams and only supply 39% of the eyewear
• have more managed care patients each year
• are losing locations (1000 per year nationwide)

Corporate optical retailers (Lenscrafters, Pearle, Wal-Mart, Costco, etc.):

• are GAINING 2 to 4% market share per year
• provide 33% of all eye exams and provide 60% of all eyewear dispensed
• are gaining locations (1000 per year nationwide)

Vision Care Benefits:

• Demand is INCREASING
• Are the least expensive benefit of the big four benefits (medical, prescription card, dental, and vision.)
• Demand is the same as dental and continues growing each year.
• Help to ensure that patients purchase materials and services from PPECPs instead of corporate optical retailers

OD graduates:

• Are choosing to work for corporate optical retail chains rather than in private practice
• Are recruited by corporate optical retail chains at optometry schools
• Are demographically more prone to favor retail chain occupations

The Bottom Line:

PPECPs are LOSING market share and money because:

• They have lost private pay patients to corporate optical retail chains
• Managed care (Spectera, Davis, Avesis) reimburses poorly
• Patients are not covered with vision care benefits independently or through a collective organization (work)
• They cannot capture new OD talent