ACLM reports dip in contact lens figures

A latest valuation of the contact lens market among Association of Contact Lens Manufacturers (ACLM) members in the UK and Ireland showed a 6 per cent decline in both value and the number of wearers last year.

It was the first decrease since ACLM records began in 1992, when the market was worth £33m.

Last year the market value shrank to £226m compared to £240m in 2013, while the total number of wearers fell to around 3.5 million.

The ACLM attributed the reduction to redistributions of inventory product, parts of the market shifting to non-contributing companies and a change to its reporting method.

‘In reality, the overall market is more or less stable,’ the association added.