NEW YORK—The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations decreased slightly last week (June 27-July 3) at a rate of -1 index point. That places gross revenue at a level 6 index points above where it was at this point in time (Week 27) when compared with last year. During the two years prior to that, the Fourth of July holiday fell within the period of time being tracked, which is why gross revenue during Week 27 of 2020 was 17 points below Week 27 of 2022, and gross revenue during the same time period of 2019 was 35 points below this year.
 
Optical sales categories were mixed last week when compared with the previous week, ranging from an increase of 3 index points for contact lenses to a decrease of 2 index points for exams/refractions. Frame units were flat, and both gross revenue and lens pairs were down -1 index point. 
 
When comparing last week’s optical sales with the same period last year, categories were either up or flat. Gross revenue experienced the largest increase (6 index points) when comparing Week 27 this year with the same period last year. Also up were exams/refractions (3 index points) and contact lenses (2 index points). Both frame units and lens pairs were flat when comparing this year with last.
 
With optical sales categories mixed when comparing last week with the previous week, one category (gross revenue at 111 index points) remained at a level above an average week in 2019 (the index baseline assigned a value of 100 for this Optical Business Tracker), and one category (contact lenses) was equal to that benchmark. The other categories were below 100 index points, at 97 for frame units and at 96 for exams/refractions and lens pairs.
 
Jobson Optical Research selected 1,500 optical locations that have been operating and reporting their sales to its partners, GPN and ABB Analytics, since 2019. The index has been rebased to an average week in 2019. Going forward, this new index base will be used as an arbitrary benchmark and assigned a value of 100.
 
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