by Joel Harrison
5. October 2010 09:53

Mintel’s British Lifestyles 2010 – Focusing on the Essentials report states that, despite the economic crisis, the optical industry is prospering. This is mostly connected with the growing popularity of contact lenses, negatively affecting the sales of spectacles.
As the reasons for the increasing profits of the manufacturers of contact lenses, the report gives the developments in contact lens technology, resulting in improved convenience, comfort and health. If the trend does not change, contact lenses will soon have more users than eyeglasses.
The only danger to the market is the increasing number (and, what is associated with it, decreasing cost) of refractive procedures performed, which eliminate the need to use both contact lenses and glasses.
The report takes note of the changes in the preferences of contact lens wearers. Because of their superior convenience, daily contact lenses are gaining more and more users, who switch from fortnightly and monthly lenses, at the same time hitting the sales of contact lens solutions, which become unnecessary.