Vision Council report: Consumers opting for more in-person, budget-friendly purchases
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The Vision Council released its third quarter Consumer inSights report, which revealed that consumers are prioritizing budget-friendly eye wear options and increasingly making in-person purchases.
“In our latest Consumer inSights survey, we see a notable increase in budget eye wear purchases in person, underscoring that consumers are continuing to make more cost-conscious choices,” Alysse Henkel, the council’s vice president of research and inSights, said in a press release. “Online eye wear purchases haven’t mirrored this same shift, and the slight decline in the online share of eye wear purchases we’re seeing suggests in-person shopping remains a crucial channel for consumers looking to maximize value.”
According to the report, 86% of recent eye wear purchases were made in person, while only 14% were purchased online — a trending decline, with 2024 online sales dropping to their lowest levels in 2 years. However, online contact lens purchases increased from 33% last quarter to 40% this quarter.
In addition, annual eye exams among young adults were also down, with 56% of Generation Z and 58% of millennials receiving exams in the past year, a drop of eight and four points compared with the previous quarter.
Consumers increasingly chose to spend less than $100 out of pocket on eye care, with 69% of respondents reporting paying less than $50 for their most recent eye exam.
“Understanding these consumer trends can help retailers and manufacturers tailor offerings to meet evolving preferences in the optical market,” Henkel said in the release.
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