NEW YORK—The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations increased last week, Aug. 1-7, at a rate of 2 index points. That places gross revenue at a level 11 index points above where it was at this point in time (Week 32) when compared with last year, 6 points above the same period in 2020, and 7 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, ranging from unchanged for exams/refractions to up 5 index points for contact lenses.
 
Each of the other three categories, gross revenue, frame units, and lens pairs, were up 2 points. All categories were also up when comparing last week’s optical sales with the same period last year, ranging from the largest increase of 11 index points for gross revenue to the smallest increases of 4 index points each for frame units and contact lenses. Exams/refractions were up 6 points, and lens pairs were up 5 points, when comparing Week 32 of 2022 with the same week in 2021.
 
With all optical sales either up or flat last week, all categories reach levels above or equal to an average week in 2019—the index baseline assigned a value of 100 for this Optical Business Tracker. Gross revenue reached the highest level at 115 index points, while frame units matched the 100-point benchmark. Exams/refractions and lens pairs both reached 101 index points, and contact lenses ended the week at 103 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