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The first half of 2012 has been generally positive with an increase in the sales volume of spectacles and financial indicators in line with 2011. Annual growth (which is the preceding 12 month comparison) is positive for all our benchmarks apart from new contact lens fits. The not so positive news is that total turnover and turnover per eye exam both fell in June from last month and failed to match the performance in June last year.
Total practice turnover (Figure 1), the graph shows the performance for the first five months of this year was comparable to last year but the June figure was 3 per cent lower than May at 168 Index points and 4 per cent lower than June 2011 and did not match the peak in June 2010. Annual growth, however, is positive at 1 per cent.
Turnover per eye examination (Figure 2) shows that the figure has been consistently higher than 2011 but again failed to match the peak of May 2010. This month saw a decrease of £2.77 to £154 from May and for the first time this year the value was lower than the same month in 2011. The annual growth is positive at £4.30, a result of improvements in the second half of 2011, compared to the second half of 2010 and the positive figures in the first five months of this year.
Over the charted period, the number of total examinations (Figure 3) peaked in February and in both 2011 and 2010 dropped to a low point in July. The slight downturn this year has less pronounced peaks and troughs but still follows the same trend. The June figure decreased over May by 3 per cent to an Index value of 107 points, the lowest number of monthly eye examinations this year, but is a 0.5 per cent improvement on June 2011. Annual growth is positive at almost 2 per cent.
The percentage of eye examinations which are NHS (Figure 4) for this half year have been lower than the previous two years. The performance indicator has increased by less than 0.5 per cent from last month to just below 77 per cent, 1 per cent lower than last June.
Dispensing and lenses
The sample average total dispensing has reduced by 3 per cent from 96 Index points in May to 93 Index points in June 2012, but this is 10 per cent higher than June 2011. Annual growth is positive at 13 per cent and this takes us back to the sales volume of spectacles we had in the 12 months from July 2009 to June 2010. The sample average dispensing rate fell by 1 percentage point in June from May this year to 63 per cent, 1 per cent higher than June 2011.
For single-vision lenses (Figure 5), 2012 is following the same downward trend from the February peak as 2011, but the sales of single-vision lenses have been higher than the same six-month period last year. June sales decreased this month from May by 3 per cent to 68 Index points but show a 7 per cent improvement on June last year. The annual growth is positive at 10 per cent.
The sales volume of bi/tri-focal lenses (Figure 6) over the first half year has been slightly higher than 2011. June sales increased by 2 per cent on May 2012, to 71 Index points, 10 per cent higher than last June and showing a positive annual growth of 8 per cent.
Progressive lenses (Figure 7) produced higher volumes of sales in 2012 than for 2011 and 2010 over the first six months. However, the series lines for the three years show the same pattern, with falls in May and June. The Index for this benchmark in June fell by 4 per cent from May to 206 Index points, which is 14 per cent higher than June last year. Annual growth is positive at 17 per cent.
For new contact lens fits (Figure 8) the series lines for each of the three years follow the same pattern, but the values reported for 2012 are lower than the previous two years. New contact lens fits reduced by 1 per cent on last month, to 124 Index points, 3 per cent lower than June 2011. Annual growth remains negative at -4 per cent.
The series lines for contact lens solution sales (Figure 9) follow the same pattern for the first five months, with a reduction in March, but the values for this first half year are higher than both 2011 and 2010. The June value this year, however, shows a fall of 9 per cent from May to 88 Index points and this is 8 per cent lower than June last year. Annual growth is positive at 4 per cent.
The percentage of spectacles dispensed with photochromic lenses (Figure10) over the first six months has been slightly lower than last year and failed to meet the May peak of 16 per cent of sales achieved in 2011 and 2010. June has seen a reduction of 1 percentage point on last month and June 2011 to 14 per cent of lenses dispensed.
Anti-reflective coatings (Figure 11) shows the percentage of lenses with the coatings dispensed has been consistently higher than 2011 and 2010. June reduced by 1 percentage point on May to 47 per cent, 3 percentage points higher than June 2011.
Re-glazes reduced by 1 percentage point to 11 per cent from last month and June last year.
Please note all figures are adjusted to a 25-working-day month. In June 2012 there were 24 working days. This data has been brought to you with the support of Johnson & Johnson. ?