NEW YORK—The latest Optical Business Barometer (OBB) report from Jobson Optical Research shows that the overall optical business rating for February 2015 decreased slightly to 3.81 from a January 2015 rating of 3.88. The February 2015 rating of 3.81 is up from the February 2014 rating of 3.65. February ratings stood at 3.65 for 2014, 3.68 in 2013, 3.90 in 2012, and 3.59 in 2011, making it the highest rating for the month of February since 2012.

Between January 2015 and February 2015, the confidence rating, a measuring of independent eyecare profesionals’ outlook for overall optical retail business for the upcoming six months, was down slightly showing a 3.91 for February 2015 compared to a 3.92 for January 2015. The February 2015 rating of 3.91 compares to 3.84 in February 2014 and 3.75 in February 2013. The February 2012 rating stood at 3.91 and February 2011 at 3.71.

The average future overall business outlook rating for January/February 2015 stood at 3.92, the highest of any January/February rating for the past five years.

SOURCE: Jobson Optical Research Business Barometer for January 2015

The February 2015 monthly scores for eyeglasses, exams and contact lenses all showed increases from the previous year. The February rating for eyeglasses rose from 3.59 in 2014 to 3.78 in 2015 (and further compares to 3.66 in 2013, 3.84 in 2012 and 3.55 in 2011); the rating for the exams rose from 3.73 in 2014 to 3.81 in 2015 (and further compares to 3.69 in 2013, 3.89 in 2012 and 3.59 in 2011); and the rating for contact lenses rose from 3.59 in 2014 to 3.65 in 2015 (comparing to 3.51 in 2013, 3.67 in 2012 and 3.45 in 2011).

SOURCE: Jobson Optical Research Business Barometer for January 2015

Jobson’s OBB report is also compared to the Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board, which decreased in February 2015 to 96.4 from a revised 103.8 in January 2015. The high point for the Consumer Confidence Index came in January, 2000 at 144.7 and the low point in February, 2009 at 25.3.

Regional scores for the overall optical year-to-date average rating stood at 3.64 in the Northeast, 3.99 in the South, 3.88 in the Midwest and 3.90 in the West.

SOURCE: Jobson Optical Research Business Barometer for January 2015

The Optical Business Barometer is a monthly study of a representative sample of independent optical retailers (single locations and groups of no more than three locations) designed to gauge the optical business trends of eyecare professionals at these locations and to provide them with a comparative "how's business" benchmark. It is conducted online by Jobson Optical Research based on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is very negative, 3 is neutral and 5 is very positive.

For more information, visit jobsonresearch.com/obb or contact Jennifer Waller at (212) 274-7164 or jwaller@jobson.com.