Around 400,000 scheduled eye tests will be deferred in December due to the financial burden of Christmas in England according to Vision Express (VE).
A survey of 2,000 people commissioned by the chain revealed that that one in five people scheduled to have their eyes checked in December admitted they'll defer until the New Year because of concerns about the cost of Christmas.
Sixty two per cent of respondents who were delaying their eye tests until the New Year said they were doing so due to the cost of buying replacement lenses and eyewear, while 22 per cent said that they didn't think that their eyesight had deteriorated sufficiently to warrant an examination.
With sales of new glasses typically falling by around a third in December, VE warned that putting off eyewear purchases was a safety hazard compounded by shorter days and adverse weather. It suggested that this was a factor in why numbers of recorded traffic accidents were higher than average around November, December and January.
Brian Linnington, VE's brand strategy director, said: 'As the days get significantly shorter and the weather deteriorates, it is essential that all of us have optimum eyesight. We're very concerned that people are putting off potentially important eye examinations at the time of the year when good eyesight is critical.'
To address the December sales slump, the chain is implementing an interest-free credit offer on glasses, which it reported was 'the very first of its kind in the UK'.
Customers pay just 10 per cent of the total cost at the point of purchase, paying the rest of the cost in monthly sums over six or 12 months.