Surviving the pandemic

Until 2020 most independent opticians were probably not unduly worried about their commercial viability. Despite significant competition, they had benefited from a growing optical market worth £3.4 billion – an increase of 17% in five years.

This growth was driven by an ageing population that increased demand for vision correction. At the same time, fashionable frames and technologically advanced lenses, especially for presbyopes, helped to raise dispensing values.

Then Covid-19 struck and required safety measures that lead to a reduction in appointment capacity of up to 30%. Given the high overhead costs of running a practice, independent opticians were forced to look very closely at their financial survival – perhaps for the first time.