Jan. 23, 2025 — The Vision Council (TVC) has released its Consumer inSights Q4 2024 report, highlighting the behaviors and preferences of U.S. adults regarding vision correction, managed vision care, eye exams, prescription eyewear, reading glasses, and nonprescription sunglasses.
The report provides an updated view of the optical industry, capturing consumer trends and patterns from the final quarter of the year.
“Through our final Consumer inSights survey of 2024, we found that the majority of U.S. consumers remained largely consistent with how they approach eye exams and prioritize their vision health throughout the year,” says Alysse Henkel, TVC vice president of research and inSights. “This data offers insight into consumer behaviors from the last quarter of the year, as well as the opportunity to see what has changed, or stayed the same, with trended data going back three years.”
The following are key findings from the report:
- Sixty-one percent of respondents had an eye exam in the past year, a figure consistent with previous quarters. However, 22% reported going more than two years without an exam.
- The majority (86%) of eyeglass purchases occurred in person, with 78% of those who had an eye exam in the last three months opting to buy their prescription eyewear from the same provider.
- Affordability continues to drive choices, with 58% of respondents spending under $50 on recent sunglasses purchases. Additionally, purchases of reading glasses priced at $10 or less increased by 12% compared to Q2.
- While most consumers still spend $100 or less on prescription glasses, there is a slight increase in purchases exceeding $200, particularly online.
- Online purchases of contact lenses decreased to 35%, down 5% from Q3. A majority of consumers (51%) are buying supplies for three months or less.
- Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported having managed vision care coverage, though employer-sponsored plans declined slightly to 47% (down from 50% in Q3). Government-sponsored coverage rose by 2% during the same period. Coverage disparities were noted across age groups, with 49% of Generation Z respondents and 58% of Generation X respondents reporting employer-sponsored vision care.
The full report is available here as a complimentary download for members and for nonmembers to purchase.