CL sales hit harder by the net than recession

Competition from internet suppliers has had a greater effect on contact lens business than the current economic recession, according to new research conducted jointly by Optician and the Association of Contact Lens Manufacturers (ACLM).

One in five practitioners whose practice offers contact lenses said that their contact lens business has decreased since they have been widely available over the internet.

Six in 10 of respondents participating in the survey said that their business is about the same following the widening of contact lens supply but a higher proportion, three quarters, said that their contact lens business remains unaffected by the state of the economy.