Premium frame sales drive practice growth

Spectacle frame sales have driven growth at optical practices in the third quarter of 2012, up 2 per cent on the same period last year, according to market analyst GfK.

Despite the tough trading conditions, practices grew sales values of the products tracked by GfK - spectacle frames, contact lenses, care products and sunglasses - by 1.6 per cent in the quarter.

Sales of contact lenses at 1.7 per cent grew by a lower rate than spectacle frames, the largest tracked product group, with care products providing growth of just 0.3 per cent. Sunglasses, on the other hand, recorded a 5 per cent drop in value at optical practices as a result of poor summer weather and customers shifting to department and specialist stores.