MASON, Ohio—Pearle Vision has been named as one of the nation’s top health franchises in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list, according to an announcement by the retailer this week. Entrepreneur’s annual rankings take into account performance in various areas, including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power. Pearle Vision was ranked No. 75 overall and No. 2 in the health-product franchises segment. Overall, Pearle Vision ranked in the top 15 percent of all franchises ranked.

This is the 11th consecutive year that Pearle Vision has been ranked among the Franchise 500, and the 35th year out of 40, according to an announcement. Entrepreneur’s 40th annual list was culled from more than 1,000 applications, making this year’s edition one of the most competitive rankings in its history

The annual list is recognized as an invaluable tool for potential franchisees. Pearle Vision, which has more than 500 eyecare centers in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, is owned by Luxottica.

Details on the Franchise 500 will be available at entrepreneur.com/franchise500 on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The rankings also will be featured in the January/February issue of Entrepreneur, available on newsstands on Jan. 15, according to the announcement. Subscribers began receiving the issue this week.

“Pearle Vision’s position on the Franchise 500 list exemplifies its strength as a franchise opportunity and as an industry leader,” Alex Wilkes, general manager of Pearle Vision, said in the announcement. “We are proud to lead the way in the optical industry and look forward to welcoming more licensed owners who share our passion for eyecare.”

Pearle Vision’s ranking comes during a period of robust growth. In 2018, new franchise locations opened across the U.S., including multiple locations in Florida and California. In early 2019, Pearle Vision is positioned to open franchises in cities across Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida and Ohio, and the brand will continue an aggressive push into Canada, the announcement noted. Wilkes said the company is “especially excited about our Ignite program, which allows independent optometry practice owners to convert to a Pearle Vision franchise location.

The key factors considered in the Franchise 500 are costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500 in ranking order.