May 24, 2023
The Vision Council released a new report examining the differences in U.S. consumers’ eyecare journeys. The 2023 first quarter Consumer inSights report found several key differences in how generations utilize optical care and exercise purchasing power within the optical industry.
“While certain eye trends span every demographic, today’s report is critical in helping us better understand consumer trends from a cross-generational perspective,” said Alysse Henkel, Senior Director of Market Research and Analytics at The Vision Council. “This data will allow our industry to engage key target audiences and encourage individuals to prioritize their eye health – from emphasizing the importance of annual exams to highlighting the need for sunglasses at all ages.”
This report marks the first time The Vision Council’s quarterly report on consumer-reported survey data has explored demographic data examining comparative trends. Key findings from the report showed that while Gen X consumers have the highest rate of managed vision care coverage, they were also least likely to undergo annual exams. Comparatively, Gen Z had the lowest rates of enrollment in managed vision care coverage, and the Silent Generation is most likely to have annual exams.
Additional report highlights:
More than one-in-three consumers without managed vision care have gone more than two years without an exam.
- Consumers continue to prefer in-person shopping experiences. In the last three months, more than four-out-of-five eyewear purchases were made in-person and only one-in-four frames purchases were made online.
- Year-over-year purchases of daily contact lens supplies have slightly shifted from Q1 of 2022, with daily supplies down five percent as weekly contact lens supplies have increased this quarter.
- Consumers were most likely to purchase reading glasses at a big box store or a dollar store.
- Just over 25 percent of consumers who regularly wear plano sunglasses reported recently purchasing a pair, with practically no differences across household income brackets.
The full report is available in The Vision Council’s Research Download Center as a complimentary download for members of The Vision Council, with a paid option for non-members to download.
