Sept. 22, 2022 — According to the Contact Lens Institute (CLI), the eyecare industry in the U.S.—specifically contact lens and eyeglasses sales—shows strong resiliency in the face of economic challenges. Commissioned by CLI as part of its See Tomorrow initiative, the research includes select data spanning consumer trade-off preferences, spending shifts, and behavioral changes among contact lens wearers—all of which were presented at Vision Expo West on Thursday, Sept. 15.
 
Respondents were asked to assign value to 26 different products and services including personal health, entertainment, clothing, dining, and more. U.S. consumers indicated they would give up all other categories before their contact lenses and eyeglasses, as they ranked their contact lenses (84%) and eyeglasses (75%) as extremely or very important—more than any other category. When asked about the impact of inflationary pressures on household spending, respondents showed the least change in the contact lenses (8%) and glasses (7%) categories.
 
“The message is clear: Eyecare professionals should not be shy about prescribing the best vision correction for patients, including contact lenses, even in challenging economic times,” says Charissa Lee, O.D., FAAO, a CLI Board member who moderated the panel discussion. “Consumers are very willing to pay for what they value, which is healthy eyesight. Practices should make sure their entire staff understands this, so they don’t inadvertently compromise their patients’ experiences.”
 
Also participating on the panel were 2022 CLI Visionaries Klaus Ito, O.D., Ocean Park Optometry; Mark Schaeffer, O.D., MyEyeDr; and Jason Tu, O.D., Invision Optometry. Luke Kulik from research firm Prodege participated as well.
 
When asked about how their contact lens habits might shift due to financial pressure, 27% of respondents said that nothing would vary, 30% noted they might wear lenses less frequently, and some would seek less expensive options online (27%) or through their ECP (26%). A smaller number reported potential changes that could put their eye health at risk, such as wearing their lenses for more days than approved (24%) and “topping off” cleaning solution (12%).
 
To help ECPs get ahead of these potential behavioral shifts, panelists recommended The EASY Way, a collection of free practice tools from CLI to communicate healthy contact lens wear and care through three easy steps.
 
An extensive report with additional reporting categories and analysis will be published in October 2022.
 
For more information: contactlensinstitute.org.