Eyewear in Western Europe

August 2024

The Western European eyewear market was negatively impacted by two phenomena over the 2019-2024 period. Sales declined in 2020 when the pandemic resulted in lockdowns, travel restrictions and retail closures. As the market began to recover, inflation started reaching unprecedented levels in the region, resulting in a cost-of-living crisis for many consumers. This was affecting sales in 2022 and 2023. Positive, if modest, growth is now expected in real value terms for the forecast period.

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Key Findings

Polarisation being seen in Western European eyewear

Polarisation is evident in a number of the region’s markets. On the one hand, consumers impacted by the cost-of-living crisis are more likely to be looking for the best prices possible (eg via private label contact lenses or “reglazing” their spectacles). On the other hand, some consumers are still happy to splash out on luxury sunglasses brands or pay that bit extra for added-value products with features like blue light blocking properties.

Optical goods stores still dominate eyewear sales

When buying spectacle lenses, consumers generally visit an optical goods store for an eye test and a consultation with an eye care professional to obtain a prescription best suited to their specific needs. However, once consumers have their contact lens prescription, increasing numbers favour purchasing such products online, whether for the sake of convenience or because e-commerce platforms often have more competitive pricing policies.

RAC 0 “100% Health” initiative keeps price rises down in France

In France, despite inflationary pressures, price increases in eyewear remained relatively low, thanks to measures like the RAC 0 reform of 2020, which aims to reduce patient out-of-pocket expenses, and the success of mutualised opticians. These factors helped to mitigate the impact of inflation on eyewear prices.

Positive growth expected in the coming years

The increasing prevalence of myopia among young people and presbyopia among older ones will continue to drive demand for eyewear products in the coming years. As will advanced technologies and innovative design features like blue light filters or anti-glare coatings – or perhaps even smart glasses.

 

Scope
Key findings
Spectacles dominate eyewear sales in Western Europe
Western Europe underperforming the global market
Modest growth expected in the region following the ups and downs of recent years
The UK has the highest sales of daily disposable lenses
Sunglasses sales were struggling over the 2019-2024 period in Turkey
All three main categories lost sales during the 2019-2024 period
Eyewear continues to see more functional segmentation in Germany
RAC 0 initiative helps keep a lid on price rises in French eyewear
Optical goods stores continue to dominate Western European eyewear sales
E-commerce accounts for almost a third of contact lens sales
Industry players increasingly adopting an omnichannel approach
Top five players tend to account for 40%-plus of sales in most countries
EssilorLuxottica remains a strong leader in Western European eyewear
China is the main revenue generator for half of the top 10 players
Glasses brands dominate the top 10 rankings
Positive if modest annual value growth expected for Western European eyewear
Increasing segmentation and personalisation expected in German eyewear
Rising incidences of myopia and presbyopia will continue to drive volume growth
France: Market Context
France: Competitive and Retail Landscape
Germany: Market Context
Germany: Competitive and Retail Landscape
Italy: Market Context
Italy: Competitive and Retail Landscape
Netherlands: Market Context
Netherlands: Competitive and Retail Landscape
Spain: Market Context
Spain: Competitive and Retail Landscape
Sweden: Market Context
Sweden: Competitive and Retail Landscape
Switzerland: Market Context
Switzerland: Competitive and Retail Landscape
Turkey: Market Context
Turkey: Competitive and Retail Landscape
UK: Market Context
UK: Competitive and Retail Landscape

Eyewear

Eyewear is the aggregate of contact lenses, spectacles and sunglasses.

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