Europe sees 7% growth in optical market

Revenue for the key European optical markets of Italy, France, Spain and Germany has grown by 7%, according to research group GfK

Together the countries represented a turnover of over €17bn for fiscal year 2015, including sunglasses, frames, spectacle lenses, contact lenses and care products for contact lenses.

Positive trends applied in all four countries analysed, with Italy ending the year with a growth of 4.1%, France up 3.8%, and Spain and Germany recording a double-digit growth of 10.5% and 11.1% respectively.

The market for contact lenses grew 2.3% in 2015, while the frames market grew 6.5%. The sunglasses sector has recovered after a 3.6% slump recorded in 2014 and now showed growth of 7%. The spectacle lenses sector, which represents 58% of the total optics market, grew 7.8% in 2015.