Patients rely on optometrists for eyecare recommendations but less so for sunwear, with only 6% of sunwear sales coming from prescription eyewear providers, according to The Vision Council’s Consumer inSights Q3 2024 Report. With greater focus and commitment to promoting sunwear, optical practices can elevate patient experiences and boost revenue. Insights into regional and seasonal trends offer a road map for improvement.

To understand how season and location impact sunwear sales, a GPN database analysis reviewed 7 million transactions from 1,000 U.S. locations in 2023. The study calculated the share of transactions involving sunwear frames using weighted averages for each patient segment, defined by region and calendar quarter.

Key findings include:

• Regional Variations: West leads with a 4.1% share of sunwear purchases, followed by South (2.2%), Midwest (2.0%), and Northeast (1.2%).

• Seasonal Trends: Q2 is the strongest quarter at 2.5%, with Q4 slightly behind at 2.4%, and Q1 and
Q3 tied at 2.3%.

• Key Drivers: Region accounts for 65.5% of
variance in sunwear sales, while season contributes minimally (0.14%).

The highest purchase rates occurred in Q4 in the West (4.3%), while the Northeast consistently underperformed at 1.2%.

By identifying receptive patient segments and leveraging these insights, optical practices can target marketing efforts, optimize inventory, and expand their share of sunwear transactions. 

—RON KREFMAN, OD

Practice Resources

The GPN Visions business solutions channel (visions.gatewaypn.com) offers timely webinars and resources to ECPs. The open-forum webinars feature some of the industry’s most successful ODs, practice management consultants, and business owners. GPN Visions members are invited to attend live webinars, view recorded presentations, download useful tools, and participate in live Q&A sessions with industry pros.