Key Note Report: More Than One in Three Spectacle Wearers Willing to Pay for Designer Frames

Teddington, United Kingdom, August 26, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Designer frames have been increasing in popularity among glasses wearers in recent years. According to Key Note’s exclusive consumer survey, the proportion of glass-wearers willing to pay more for designer frames has increased from nearly 30% in 2013 to almost 40% in 2015.

The survey also found of those that wore glasses and/or contact lenses, nearly three quarters keep a spare pair of glasses/contact lenses as back up to the existing ones. Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds said they would prefer glasses over contact lenses due to the practicality and costs, compared with a little more than a tenth that prefer contact lenses over glasses because they are more convenient and less obtrusive.

The UK market for ophthalmic goods and services has enjoyed uninterrupted growth over the past 5 years, supported by an expanding and ageing population, and increased sales of spectacles and contact lenses. In 2014, the market for spectacles and contact lenses is estimated to grow by 3.2%, while value for sight tests (including National Health Service [NHS] and private) rose by 2.8%.

The number of people undergoing NHS sight tests in the UK has steadily increased over the past few years. Almost 24,000 out of every 100,000 people had an NHS eye test in England in 2013/2014, compared with 20,500 in 2005/2006. The UK’s ageing population is a key factor driving demand for sight tests — the number of over-60s that had NHS sight tests increased from nearly 42,000 per 100,000 to over 46,000 per 100,000 between 2005/2006 and 2013/2014.

Key Note expects the UK ophthalmic goods and services market will continue to grow over the next 5 years, rising by an estimated 2.5% in 2015 and 2.4% in 2016. Growth will be driven by the ageing population, increasing popularity of designer frames and new product development (NPD) in the corrective eyewear field.

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Press enquiries: Adam Pembrey at Key Note at apembrey@keynote.co.uk or 0845 504 0452. Press/review copies of the report are available on request.

Notes to editors:
Key Note’s 2015 Market Report, Ophthalmic Goods & Services, analyses the market for the same in the UK.

Key Note Ltd has been providing commercially relevant market information to libraries, academia and businesses since 1978. With over 1,000 titles available across 22 market sectors, and new or updated titles published every month, Key Note is one of the UK’s most prolific and respected business information providers. Within the range, some reports are written in response to particular market conditions, whereas other reports will be produced regularly year on year.

Key Note’s 2015 Market Report, Ophthalmic Goods & Services, is available to purchase from Key Note on 0845-504 0452, by e-mail at sales@keynote.co.uk or at www.keynote.co.uk, priced £575.