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NEW YORK—National optical sales experienced a slight downturn across the board last week, according to the latest Jobson COVID-19 Performance Tracker for the week ending Oct. 11. As cases of COVID-19 increased in 37 states, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, optical sales decreased in all service/product categories on a national level for the most recent period monitored, Oct. 5 to 11. All categories were down -3 index points, except exams/refractions, which was down -2 index points. This follows two weeks during which optical sales on a national level remained primarily flat.

The largest regional decreases in optical sales were in the Midwest and the Northeast. The Midwest was down -5 index points for gross revenue and -6 index points for frame units and lens pairs. The Northeast was down -4 index points for gross revenue and exams/refractions.

Both of these regions with the largest optical sales declines also saw increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, with 10 states in the Midwest reporting an uptick in cases and the Northeast reporting more cases in three states. However, with the West also reporting more COVID-19 cases (up in nine states), this region experienced the smallest declines of -1 index point for exams/refractions, frame units and lens pairs.

Only two regional categories experienced no change whatsoever—gross revenue in the West and contact lenses in the Northeast.

The Jobson COVID-19 Practice Performance Tracker data is compiled by Jobson Research  from GPN/EDGEPro   and ABB Analyze data. Another element of the report illustrates Consumer Sentiments about the COVID-19 response and purchasing intentions, with data supplied by The Vision Council.

This index baseline was developed by Jobson Research from total sales from an average 7 days in the first quarter of 2019.

Click here to view the complete Jobson COVID-19 Performance Tracker