NEW YORK—The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations increased last week (September 25 – October 1) when compared with the previous week at a rate of 4 index points. That places gross revenue at a level 3 index points below where it was at this point in time (Week 40) when compared with last year (2022), 10 points above the same period in 2021, 3 points above 2020, and 14 points above 2019, according to Jobson’s most recent Practice Performance Tracker.

All optical sales categories were up or flat last week when compared with the previous week, at rates of 4 index points (gross revenue), 3 index points (exams/refractions), 7 index points (frame units), 6 index points (lens pairs), and 0 index points (contact lenses). When comparing last week’s optical sales with the same period last year, all categories were up besides one, ranging from the greatest increase of 3 index points for gross revenue to the only decrease of 9 index points for contact lenses. The other categories increased at rates of 2 index points for exams/refractions and 1 index point for both frame units and lens pairs.

With most optical sales categories increasing last week, only one of the categories reached a level above an average week in 2019—the index baseline assigned a value of 100 for this Optical Business Tracker. These ranged from a high of 113 index points for gross revenue to a low of 84 index points for contact lenses. The other three categories reached 97 index points for exams/refractions, 96 index points for frame units, and 96 index points for lens pairs.

Jobson Optical Research selected 1,500 optical locations that have been operating and reporting their sales to its partners, GPN and ABB Analytics, since 2019. The index has been rebased to an average week in 2019. Going forward, this new index base will be used as an arbitrary benchmark and assigned a value of 100.

Click here to view the complete Jobson COVID-19 Performance Tracker