ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Independent optical retailers accounted for the highest percentage (44.8 percent) of frame sales throughout the U.S. over the twelve-month period ending September 2014, according to The Vision Council’s latest VisionWatch report, accounting for about half of all frame sales in both the Northeast (48.4 percent) and West (50.6 percent). Conventional chains with more than ten locations accounted for the second highest percentage of frame sales in all regions for the same 12-month period, particularly in the Northeast, with 31.6 percent of all frame sales in that region, and in the Midwest, with 29.2 percent of all frame sales in that region. Review the chart below of “Frame Units Sold by Channel and Region” for more data on the percentage of frame sales made by these various types of optical retailers—Independents, Conventional Chains, Mass Merchandisers, and Department Stores.
Frame Units Sold by Channel and Region for 12 Months Ending September 2014
Source: September 2014 VisionWatch, the large scale continuous research study conducted by
The Vision Council with approximately 110,000 respondents. Mass Merchandiser is made up of
Walmart, Target, and optical departments in other mass merchandisers (such as Shopko) as well as
wholesale clubs such as Costco, Sam’s, BJ’s, and other (smaller) wholesale club retailers.
Department Store is made up of Sears, JC Penney, Macy’s, and a very few locations in other
department store retailers. Conventional Chain is made up of 55 chains with more than ten
locations that are not a mass merchandiser, wholesale club, or department store.