I do a lot of speaking in the eye care industry and often research to put presentations together. One of my favourite lectures I have been doing is showcasing eyecare and eyewear-related statistics that immediately highlight opportunities. I recently updated my presentation and delivered a webinar on North American eye care stats and trends. You can view the recording here.
Here are just a few statistics and the opportunities you can capitalize on in your practice.
- The eyewear repurchase cycle is every 3.6 years for Canada and 2 years for the United States.
What’s up, Canada? Let’s find education, marketing, and sales opportunities to get your patients back in more frequently to purchase eyewear
2. Currently, 46.5% of Americans and 65.3% of Canadians get Anti-Reflective coatings.
Canada outperforms the USA in AR sales, but here is the epiphany; why is ANYONE purchasing glasses without anti-reflective lenses anymore? Let’s retrain our dispensers to overcome price objections and get patients what they deserve, glare-free vision!
3. 24% of Americans and 22.5% of Canadians wear sunglasses under $50. This means they are wearing low-quality sunglasses from drug stores, gas stations and dollar stores.
We can do better. We need to ensure that consumers know what a pair of good-quality sunglasses can do for their vision and eye health. Stop the bleeding of sales to cheap sunnies.
4. 13.2% of Americans wear over-the-counter reading glasses.
There are two opportunities here:
1. Sell quality over-the-counter reading glasses and take some of the business back.
2. Educate patients that a pair of prescription quality reading glasses will not only be clearer and have a sharper vision but reduce eye fatigue and eye strain.
5. 38.5% of people have not had an eye exam in the last year.
There are still opportunities to educate patients on the importance of annual eye exams and the use of their insurance and vision benefits. Use it or lose it.
6. Only 1 in 4 Canadians have a second pair of glasses.
That is terrible news, period. Everyone should have a backup pair of glasses in case of breakage alone, but why would anyone want to wear the same pair of glasses day in and day out for a few years. Try showing them what they are spending on less important items and start moving every patient to two pairs of glasses.
7. About 41.6% of Americans are nearsighted, up from 25% in 1971.
Myopia is a growing concern and needs your attention. With the influx of Myopia management technology, we can all do our part in helping slow the prevalence and progression of myopia in children and, at the same time, grow a new revenue stream in our practices.
8. 72% of adults between the ages of 18-39 use three or more digital devices every day.
This heavy usage of digital devices impacts health, causing eye-related problems. 90% report at least one eye-related problem such as tired eyes, headaches, disrupted sleep cycle, and neck and back pain. Take the time to educate on the 20-20-20 rule and ophthalmic products that can assist in reducing some of these issues.
9. 86% of Canadian children have never had an eye exam before school.
Parents don’t realize their children need eye exams. Often they think they will notice a vision disability, but they don’t because children are so good at adapting to their environment and situations. A CAO study shows that 1 in 4 school-aged children have a vision defect.
10. 50.2% of Americans have vision insurance and managed health plans, and 70% of Canadians have vision coverage.
We don’t know how many don’t utilize it every year. Here is your opportunity to remind them that eye exams are covered and that they have unused eyewear or contact lens coverage.
Do you see opportunities in these trends? These are just a few that were included in our webinar, so take the opportunity (no pun intended) to listen and see more statistics that will open your eyes to the many ways you can grow your eye care practice and help your patients simultaneously.
Sources
- VisionWatch_Canada_Market_Overview_Sep21_FINAL.pdf
- VisionWatch_Canada_Market_Overview_Sep21_FINAL.pdf
- VisionWatch_Canada_Market_Overview_Sep21_FINAL.pdf
- https://thevisioncouncil.org/sites/default/files/assets/media/TVC_OrgOverview_sheet_2021.pdf
- https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/201214/dq201214d-eng.htm
- https://eyecarebusiness.ca/embracing-the-future-of-our-industry/
- https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news/myopia-close-look-efforts-turn-back-growing-problem
- https://eyecarebusiness.ca/embracing-the-future-of-our-industry/
- https://eyecarebusiness.ca/embracing-the-future-of-our-industry/
- https://opto.ca/sites/default/files/resources/documents/eye_health_statistics_with_references_july_2019.pdf
- https://opto.ca/sites/default/files/resources/documents/eye_health_statistics_with_references_july_2019.pdf
- https://www.reviewob.com/how-many-u-s-adults-have-vision-insurance-or-managed-vision-care/
