The U.S. Optical Market, Under the Microscope

How stressed are eyecare professionals today? 

The nationwide average score is 3.9 (on a stress scale of 1 to 10, with 10 as the highest stress), according to the EB 2024 Regional Market Trends Report. This is significantly down from a score of 6.5 in a stress-inducing 2020. 

These numbers are but one small slice of the wealth of data and insights revealed in our landmark annual survey, which is laid out across 10 pages in this issue starting on page 30.

In its 15th year in practice, EB’s exclusive, annual report takes the pulse of eyecare professionals across the country to reveal critical trends in the retail dispensing side of independent practice. The results are presented for the nation as a whole—and also broken down by United States Census Bureau regions—Northeast, West, South, and Midwest.  

Here, a few more attention-getting data points to entice you to turn to our feature, “Keeping Score in 2024,” for more business-enhancing intel.

→ The Bottom Line in 2024.
Nationwide, just 5% of ECPs say their practice bottom line is up more than 20% year over year, while 38% say it’s up 10% to 20%.

→ Retail Opportunities in 2024.
From coast to coast, 19% of ECPs see premium products as the area of greatest retail opportunity, with another 19% noting the same for spectacle lenses. Interestingly, just 12% see myopia management as the biggest prospect.

→ Purchasing Trends in 2024.
Nationwide, 48% of ECPs plan to increase their contact lens purchases this year, while 10% plan to cut back and 29% have no plan to change buying patterns. 

We hope you enjoy the issue!

Erinn Morgan,

Editor-in-Chief + Editorial Director
Director of Social Media, PentaVision