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UK Optical Goods Retailing Market Report 2025

UK Optical Goods Retailing Market Report 2025

"Given that young people want opticians to offer more stylish designs, this creates opportunities for closer collaboration between opticians and fashion brands both for glasses frames and personal styling."

Tamara Sender Ceron - Associate Director, Fashion Retail

Market Intelligence Reports Retail UK

The UK eyewear retail market is steadfast, marked by a value-driven approach and growth potential due to premium eyewear choices and an aging demographic. With notable brand loyalty among female consumers and those aged 45 and above, there is a distinct trend towards in-store shopping and a budding enthusiasm for collaborations between opticians and fashion brands for more stylish designs.

UK Optical Goods Retail Market Research from Mintel

Mintel’s eyewear retail market research finds that over half of UK consumers choose an optical goods specialist due to lower prices, highlighting an ongoing focus on value amid a challenging financial climate. Although as part of the value equation, consumers are also factoring convenient location and customer service when making their decision.

While young people are already using virtual try-on, nearly three in ten older Gen X consumers are considering using it in the future. As the technology improves and becomes more accurate it can be a huge differentiator for retailers. Particularly as over four in ten Gen X shoppers are considering switching opticians.

Over a third of Younger Millennials would be encouraged to buy from one optician versus its competitor, if it offered more stylish designs, making this a key purchase driver for younger shoppers. This creates opportunities for closer collaboration between opticians and fashion brands both for glasses frames and personal styling.

UK Eyewear Retail Market Statistics

UK optical goods market size: Demand for optical goods remains resilient, with the value of the market growing an estimated 3.5% in 2024.
UK optical goods market segmentation: Spectacles make up the majority of spending in the UK market, with contact lenses increasing share.

UK Optical Goods Retailing Market Report – What’s Inside?

Key Topics Analysed in the Report

The short-, medium- and long-term impact of cost of living pressures on eye tests and purchasing of glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses.
The reasons consumers choose a particular optician to get an eye test/contact lens check and barriers to not having an eye test in the last two years.
Preferred channels and retailers for purchasing optical goods and the importance of value in driving purchasing.
Most important factors when choosing one optical goods retailer to purchase from over another, with value a key purchase driver.
Consumer interest when shopping online in virtual try-on and using social media for researching glasses styles and trends.
Future interest in recycling old glasses frames/lenses and purchasing of smart glasses/contact lenses.

Report Scope

This report examines the UK market for core goods and services sold through opticians including:

Eye tests; Prescription sunglasses; Spectacle frames and lenses (the terms glasses and spectacles are used interchangeably); Contact lenses (including aftercare); Contact lens solutions through opticians, chemists and other outlets; Non-prescription sunglasses, including those sold by outlets other than opticians.

In addition, this Report includes eye care solutions, such as Optrex, eye baths and eye masks, which are used for the treatment of sore and tired eyes.

For the purposes of this Report, retail opticians’ shops and optical practices refer to shops staffed by qualified opticians. There are three types of practitioner:

Optometrists or Ophthalmic Opticians are registered with the General Optical Council and specialise in sight testing and the prescribing and dispensing of spectacles and optical appliances. They are trained to recognise eye diseases and abnormalities, which may require further medical intervention.
Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners (OMPs) are fully qualified doctors with a speciality in eyes and eye care. They are registered with the General Medical Council and can test sight and prescribe spectacles and other appliances. They are also trained in the detection and treatment of eye diseases and abnormalities.
Dispensing Opticians are qualified to dispense, fit and supply spectacles, but they require an additional certificate to fit contact lenses. Dispensing opticians with additional qualifications can become contact lens opticians. Contact lenses may also be fitted by qualified OMPs and optometrists.

The following products may be discussed in the consumer analysis and referenced within the Report. However, they are excluded from market value sizes:

Eye creams and gels for the skin around the eyes; Prescription and over-the-counter eye drops for thetreatment of allergies or eye infections; Accessories such as spectacle cases and contact lens containers; Laser eye surgery; Hearing aids; Minor Eye Conditions Service.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the optical goods market
- Elevating the store experience
- Capitalising on tech developments
- Greater link between fashion and eyewear
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions for optical goods
- Optical goods spending delivers consistent growth
- What consumers want and why
- Eye tests have not recovered since the pandemic
- Graph 1: number of consumers having had an eye test or hearing test in the last two years, 2019-24
- High levels of overall brand loyalty for opticians…
- Graph 2: reasons for choosing to get an eye test/contact lens check, 2024
- Forgetting to book and inconvenience are barriers to eye tests
- Graph 3: reasons for not having an eye test in the last two years, 2024
- Purchasing of prescription glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses declines
- Graph 4: eyewear purchasing, 2022-24
- In-store sunglasses purchases rise
- Graph 5: channels used to purchase optical goods, 2024
- Specsavers grows in popularity
- Graph 6: retailers used to purchase optical goods, 2024
- Value drives purchasing
- Graph 7: what would encourage consumers to choose one optical goods retailer over another, 2024
- 56% have either switched opticians or are considering doing it
- Graph 8: current and future shopping behaviours, 2024
- Retailer activity
- High street opticians dominate the market
MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- Demand for optical goods remains resilient
- Graph 9: estimated market size for optical goods and non-prescription sunglasses, 2019-24
- Market forecast
- Optical goods spending delivers consistent growth
- Market segmentation
- Spectacles make up the majority of spending, with contact lenses increasing share
- Graph 10: estimated consumer spending on optical goods and services, by category, 2024
- Consumer spending on contact lenses rises
- Macro-economic factors
- Demand for optical goods to heighten as the population ages
- Graph 11: population, by age, 2004-64
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Eye and hearing tests
- Eye tests have not recovered since the pandemic
- Graph 12: number of consumers having had an eye test or hearing test in the last two years, 2019-24
- Decline in young people having contact lens appointments
- Graph 13: number of consumers having had an eye test or hearing test in the last two years, by age group, 2024
- High levels of overall brand loyalty for opticians…
- Graph 14: reasons for choosing to get an eye test/contact lens check, 2024
- … but young not so loyal
- Graph 15: reasons for choosing to get an eye test/contact lens check, by generation, 2024
- Offering a wider selection of brands to appeal to young people
- Graph 16: reasons for choosing to get an eye test/contact lens check, by age group, 2024
- Forgetting to book and inconvenience are barriers to eye tests
- Scope to use social media to encourage Gen X to book appointments
- Graph 17: main reasons for not getting an eye test in the last two years, by generation, 2024
- Cost pressures impact eye tests
- Eyewear purchasing
- Purchasing of prescription glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses declines
- Graph 18: eyewear purchasing, 2022-24
- Young buy fewer prescription glasses
- Graph 19: eyewear purchasing, by age group, 2024
- Retailers and channels used
- In-store sunglasses purchases rise
- Graph 20: channels used to purchase optical goods, 2024
- People buy lenses online more
- Younger Millennials buy glasses online more
- Graph 21: online and in-store purchasing of glasses, 2024
- Specsavers grows in popularity
- Graph 22: retailers used to purchase optical goods, 2024
- Boots sees jump in contact lens purchases
- Vision Express opens flagship store
- Purchase drivers
- Value drives purchasing
- Graph 23: what would encourage consumers to choose one optical goods retailer over another, 2024
- Targeting women with more budget-friendly options
- Lower prices will only target half of potential users
- Smoother buying process can draw younger shoppers
- Younger Millennials want more stylish designs
- 3D scanning to help with fit
- Current and future behaviours
- 56% have either switched opticians or are considering doing it
- Graph 24: current and future shopping behaviours, 2024
- Opticians can highlight their expertise
- Myopia management to become more mainstream
- Growing interest in waste reduction
- Two-fifths of young consumers buy smart glasses
- Opportunities for smart glasses and lenses as tech advances
- Young use social media to research, both for style trends and advice
- The Spectacle Factory stands out for its use of social media
- Using VR technology to improve the shopping experience
- Graph 25: used a digital glasses/contact lens tool (eg virtual glasses ‘try on’ using phone/laptop camera), 2024
- Make eyewear conversations on social media more fashion-led
- Greater link between fashion and eyewear
- Fashion brands that Specsavers customers have affinities with
RETAILER ACTIVITY
- Leading retailers
- Specsavers attracts more customers
- High street opticians dominate the market
- Market becomes more competitive
- Launch activity and innovation
- New technology introduced
- Extending expertise into health and wellbeing
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Ad spend resumes
- Graph 26: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on optical goods, 2020-24
- Top three spenders account for 88% of total advertising spend
- Specsavers, Boots and Vision Express grow ad spend
- Vision Express collaborates with musician Martin Kemp
- Digital spend drops while direct mail makes up for nearly half of expenditure
- Graph 27: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on optical goods, by media type, 2024
- Specsavers shifts to new slogan
- Boots Opticians launches new ad campaign
APPENDIX
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Market definition (continued)
- Market definition – exclusions
- Abbreviations and terms
- Methodology
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
- Snoop SpendMapper methodology

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