Market monitor: Spring report shows signs of growth

Despite the looming economic threats of Brexit high street optical retailers can find reason for optimism after positive overall growth since the referendum vote.

Around half of the 90 respondents in March’s Market Monitor survey say practice turnover is up from the same point last year, consistent with the previous Market Monitor in August 2017.

However, 18% say practice turnover is down, compared to 11% who gave the same response last summer. Just over a quarter reported unchanged practice turnover in March, which is up from 15% of respondents in the previous Market Monitor.

Meanwhile, around half of respondents say the number of eye exams being carried out in practice is up on the same point last year. But again, the number reporting the same number of year-on-year eye exams increased is higher, at 37%, than last year, when one in five practices said this metric was unchanged.