The Vision Council Releases New Research Revealing Q4 Consumer Trends Across Optical Products and Services
Alexandria, VA – January 20, 2025 – Today, The Vision Council released Consumer inSights Q4 2024, a new report examining the views and behaviors of U.S. adults in relation to vision correction, managed vision care, eye exams, prescription eyewear, reading glasses, and non-prescription sunglasses.
The findings from the last quarter of 2024 offer an updated, comprehensive overview of the optical industry based on consumer choices and habits.
“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,” said Alysse Henkel, Vice President of Research and inSights at The Vision Council. “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.”
Findings from this quarter show a continued preference for lower-cost non-prescription eyewear, as 58% of respondents reported spending less than $50 on a recent sunglasses purchase, and the number of consumers buying reading glasses that cost $10 or less increased substantially from Q2 (up 12%). While the $100 or-less category still dominates for prescription eyewear, the report shows that the number of consumers purchasing new prescription eyewear costing $200 or more is slightly increasing, especially across online purchases.
Additional Key Highlights for Q4 2024:
- 61% of respondents had an eye exam in the past year, holding steady from previous quarters; however, 22% of respondents have gone more than two years without an exam.
- The majority (86%) of eyeglass purchases occur in-person. Of those with an eye exam in last 3 months who also purchased prescription eyewear, 78% purchased their eyewear from their exam provider.
- 35% of recent contact lens purchases were made online, down 5% from Q3. Many consumers (51%) are buying smaller supplies lasting three months or less.
- 67% of respondents report having some form of managed vision care coverage.
- Employer-sponsored managed vision care programs declined slightly to 47% in Q4, down from 50% in the previous quarter; and government-sponsored coverage saw a 2% increase from Q3.
- 49% of Gen Z respondents reported employer coverage of managed vision care, compared to 58% of Gen X respondents.
The Vision Council’s Consumer inSights Q4 2024 findings are the result of a survey of 12,021 adults in the United States aged 18 or older in the last quarter of 2024. Respondents are representative of the U.S. adult population. The survey included questions about vision correction, managed vision care, eye exams, prescription eyewear, reading glasses, and plano sunglasses.
This report focuses primarily on data from the fourth quarter of 2024 as part of The Vision Council’s updated Consumer inSights survey that began in January of 2022. Three years of trended data can be accessed along with the full report 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.
More about the inSights Research Program
The Vision Council’s inSights Research Program is built on a foundation of rigorous methodology and cutting-edge technology. The inSights Research Program provides a comprehensive perspective on the state of the optical industry through quarterly consumer survey reports; quarterly in-depth special reports on eyewear and eyecare products and topics; and an end-of-year market estimate and industry forecast. The 2024 Market inSights report and 2025 Forecast will be released on Thursday, January 23, 2025.