NEW YORK—The total vision care market’s revenues dipped 2.6 percent for the 12 months ending June 2009 to $32.7 billion compared to $33.6 billion in the prior year 12-month period, according to the just-released Q2 Consumer Barometer, a top-line view of vision care services and eyeglass purchasing trends among consumers across the U.S. by VisionWatch, a study conducted by Jobson Optical Research and The Vision Council.

According to the Barometer, dollar sales of frames at retail were relatively flat for the 12-month period, dipping 0.4 percent; frames comprise 25.7 percent of current vision care market sales at retail. Lenses dipped 1.9 percent for the 12 months ending June; lenses comprise 29.4 percent of the total dollars.

Eye exams gained overall by 5.5 percent during the period, their value accounting for 14.9 percent of $32.7 billion in total vision care revenues for the period. The number of eye exams for the six months ending June was 47 million, a slight uptick from the prior six-months ending March 2009. Contact lenses revenues also grew in dollar value by 3.9 percent, while sunglasses’s dollar sales declined 8.7 percent for the 12 month period.

Consumers’ future purchasing intent for prescription eyeglasses for the six months, Jan to June 2009, declined from purchasing indent index levels in the October 2008-March 2009 period.

The complete Q2 Consumer Barometer, which shows updated info on sales in frames, lenses, contact lenses, sunglasses, readers, eye exams and refractive surgery, is available for purchase at Jobson Optical Research.