Haven't got your number

This warning, from Dollond & Aitchison boss Russell Hardy, came along with the statement that it was very difficult to get data on the market. If Hardy, as one of the market's leading figures, finds it difficult to get data on the market, how on earth is anyone else supposed to understand the fundamentals and without those numbers how can anyone really gauge the true health of the business?
For over 10 years optician has produced its monthly Index figures for the market. D&A has supported this admirably but the other chains have failed to take part.
Just why does the optical business have such a problem sharing facts and figures with its colleagues and competitors?
How can the optical market as a whole be comfortable with the fact that it simply doesn't know how many pairs of spectacles were sold in the UK last year? What is the true proportion of progressive lenses sold? How many lenses are anti-reflection coated or tinted? How many new contact lens fits were recorded in January?
The Index provides answers to all of the questions and more but it does so by aggregating figures from its contributors.
Over the coming weeks the editor of optician will make personal appeals to those in the corporate sector to support the Index by supplying figures from their practices. optician will also redouble its efforts to maintain the returns it gets from the independent sector.
Supplying statistics for the Index is good for the profession and the industry. The result will be good figures that everyone can benefit from and which can be used by optics to fight its case with the Government and the consumer.
If you don't contribute to the optician Index, why not? What are you scared of?
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