NEW YORK—The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations decreased last week, March 11–17, when compared with the previous week at a rate of -5 index points. That places gross revenue at a level 2 index points above where it was at this point in time (Week 11) when compared with last year (2023), 9 points above the same period in 2022, 4 points above 2021, 15 points above 2020 and 16 points above 2019, according to Jobson’s most recent Practice Performance Tracker.

All optical sales categories were down last week when compared with the previous week, at rates of -5 index points for gross revenue, -3 index points for exams/refractions, -3 index points for frame units, -4 index points for lens pairs and -3 index point for contact lenses.

When comparing last week’s optical sales with the same period last year, most of the categories were up, ranging from lens pairs, which remained flat, to the greatest increase of 5 index points for exams/refractions. Gross revenue, frame units and contact lenses all increased by 2 index points.

With all optical sales categories decreasing last week, four 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 122 index points for gross revenue to a low of 94 index points for contact lenses. The other three categories reached 101 index points for exams/refractions, 103 index points for frame units and 102 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