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ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council has released the results of the Midpoint March COVID-19 Optical Impact Consumer Study to its members. Conducted by The Vision Council’s research team as part of The Vision Council’s monthly VisionWatch survey, the Midpoint March survey builds upon the study launched in February to measure consumers’ level of concern over exposure to COVID-19 and tracks trends in consumer behavior relating to eye exams and intended eyewear purchases. The report released to members compares the results of the February survey to the Midpoint March survey, which includes consumer responses through March 20.

Steve Kodey, senior director of industry research at The Vision Council, told VMAIL, "By tracking results on a daily basis we see that the percentage of the population that are extremely concerned with COVID-19 has increased by over 60 percent from mid-February to mid-March. Consumers are also taking more precautions to avoid COVID-19 with over 80 million adults avoiding hospitals, health centers and doctors offices.

“As we continue to closely monitor the impact of COVID-19 and the evolving eyewear and eyecare behavior of consumers in response to the pandemic, we are making every effort to keep our members informed. Knowing how rapidly this unprecedented situation is evolving and the value of real-time information, we chose to share the Midpoint March results with our members now, with the final summary of the full March study to follow,” said Ashley Mills, CEO at The Vision Council.

“Furthermore, our research team has enhanced the study with more information on daily response patterns, helping us understand how consumer sentiment is changing on a daily basis. We are committed to keeping a close watch on the situation and sharing this information with our members,” she said.

The COVID-19 Optical Impact Consumer Study surveys the measures consumers are taking to prevent exposure, changes in eye exam intent, and how respondents are prioritizing medical care and eyewear purchases. Survey questions included whether respondents are putting off medical treatments and if they intend to schedule a routine eye exam while coronavirus remains a threat.



The Midpoint March COVID-19 Optical Impact Consumer Study enhances the original February study results with new trend graphs highlighting daily response patterns for each survey question, providing insight into how consumer responses are changing on a daily basis. The breadth of the overall results has also been expanded with information on respondents with Managed Vision Care and respondents without, as well as raw data cross tabs for both the February and March data to date. The survey will continue to be conducted through the end of the month to monitor changes in consumer sentiment. A final report summarizing March results will be available in the coming weeks.

The Vision Council members have access to a free summary report, which compares the results of the February COVID-19 Optical Impact Consumer Study, which was fielded to more than 10,000 U.S. adults, to the results of the March COVID-19 Optical Impact Consumer Study, which was fielded to more than 5,000 U.S. adults. The free summary report can be found here.

VisionWatch is an ongoing study that provides The Vision Council’s members with exclusive insights into the optical marketplace’s current and historical trends, retailer shares, consumer traits and demographic breakdowns. The Vision Council issues other topical research reports throughout the year that are available for purchase.