NEW YORK—The latest Optical Business Barometer (OBB) report from Jobson Optical Research shows that the overall optical business rating for October 2014 increased to 3.77 from a September 2014 rating of 3.71 and showed an increase from all previous ratings for the month of October over time. October ratings stood at 3.54 in 2013, 3.44 in 2012, 3.38 in 2011 and 3.22 in 2010, making October 2014 the strongest rating for the month of October since the Barometer began.

Between September and October 2014, the confidence rating, measuring independent eyecare professionals' outlook for overall optical retail business for the upcoming six months was also on the rise showing a 3.84 for October compared to a 3.77 rating in September. The October 2014 confidence rating is higher than the confidence rating for the same period in previous years, comparing to 3.65 in 2013, 3.69 in 2012, 3.54 in 2011 and 3.49 in 2010.

The September 2014 monthly scores for eyeglasses, exams and contact lenses all showed increases from previous years as well. The October rating for eyeglasses rose from 3.45 in 2013 to 3.72 in 2014; the rating for exams rose from 3.56 in 2013 to 3.80 in 2014; and the rating for contact lenses rose from 3.43 in 2013 to 3.62 in 2014.

Jobson's OBB report is further compared to the Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board, which rebounded in October to 94.5 from a revised September index of 89.0.

The OBB is a monthly study of a representative sample of independent optical retailers designed to gauge the optical business trends of eyecare professionals, based on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is very negative, 3 is neutral and 5 is very positive.

For VM’s full report, visit the Research + Stats section on VisionMonday.com. For more information, visit jobsonresearch.com/obb or contact Jennifer Waller at (212) 274-7164 or jwaller@jobson.com.