BUSINESS Mass Merchants and Warehouse Clubs Reflect a Collective 9.1 Percent Sales Gain in 2023 By Staff Sunday, June 16, 2024 12:57 AM RELATED CONTENT VM’s 2024 Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers Key Optical Players Ranked by U.S. Sales in 2023 A 10-Year Perspective on VM’s Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers Snapshots of Optical’s 10 Largest U.S. Retail Players NEW YORK—Despite inflation keeping a firm grip on the economy throughout most of 2023, the leading mass merchants and warehouse clubs with optical departments showed an increase in dollar sales for the year based on their reports and VM’s estimates, which reflected a collective 9.1 percent increase for the year. Sales of these businesses reached $4,491.5 million for 2023 compared with $4,115.3 million in the prior-year period. Some of the gains came through strong comps and others through additional store openings. The collective store count among these retailers rose from 5,025 in the 2022 calendar year to 5,048 in 2023. Walmart’s Vision Centers, those operated by the retailer as well as those operated by an agreement with National Vision, saw a slight decrease in units but a 6.4 percent increase in sales. National Vision Holdings, Inc. ended its partnership with Walmart Inc. in February 2024. This included supplying and operating Vision Centers in select Walmart stores, providing contact lens distribution and related services to Walmart and its affiliate, and arranging for the provision of optometric services at certain Walmart locations in California. Sam’s Club had one fewer location in 2023 while Fred Meyer’s optical departments remained the same in the number of its locations. Costco Optical opened 13 new locations last year, and Target Optical opened 12 more departments than in the prior year. BJ’s Optical opened 4 additional locations in 2023.