UK top of European lens sales league

More ophthalmic lenses were sold in the UK last year than any other country in Europe according to figures released this week to optician by consultancy Strategy with Vision.

An estimated 29.2 million lenses were sold in the UK, compared to 28.7m in Germany and 25.5m for France. These results are particularly impressive given these countries' respective populations of 59.8m, 82m and 60.4m.

While optician's own barometer of business, the 'Index', and soundings from optical retailers have suggested a relatively stagnant market for UK optics, SWV's chief executive Mark Mackenzie - a former director at Carl Zeiss and at Sola - described the lens situation as 'healthy'.

Mackenzie and his wife Ingeborg founded the consultancy in 2001 and have steadily built a strong reputation for reliable statistics on the ophthalmic lens market worldwide. SWV compiles data from published market research, from national organisations such as FODO, from its own market research and from stock market analysts to home in on a reliable figure.

Legislative changes in Germany are at the root of a fall in volume there, but SWV said that it would take until 2008 for Germany to return to the sales levels of 2002, the last 'normal' year on record.

'The UK lens sector has been growing at a steady pace for about four years now,' Mackenzie told optician this week. 'The last time we even came close to Germany, let alone overtaking it, was way back in 1989.'

He added that the future looked bright for the market as a whole with a growing population, particularly in the over-45 age bracket. More information is available at www.swv4u.com
rob.moss@rbi.co.uk