NEW YORK—The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations decreased last week, March 25–31, when compared with the previous week at a rate of -4 index points. That places gross revenue at a level -1 index point below where it was at this point in time (Week 13) when compared with last year (2023), 2 points above the same period in 2022, 4 points above 2021, 97 points above 2020 and 14 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 -4 index points for gross revenue, -4 index points for exams/refractions, -3 index points for frame units, -4 index points for lens pairs and -3 index points for contact lenses. When comparing last week’s optical sales with the same period last year, the categories were all down as well, ranging from the lowest decrease of -1 index point for gross revenue and exams/refractions, to the greatest decrease of -5 index points for lens pairs.

The other categories decreased by -4 index points for frame units and -3 index points for contact lenses.

With all optical sales categories decreasing 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 119 index points for gross revenue to a low of 90 index points for contact lenses. One category, frame units, matched the index baseline of 100. Exams/refractions and lens pairs both reached 99 index points.

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