New Research from The Vision Council Explores Consumer Motivations for Choosing Eyecare Products and Services
Alexandria, Va., Nov. 22, 2024—Today, The Vision Council released a new research report exploring the consumer decision-making process related to selecting an eyecare provider and purchasing vision care products and services. Findings from the report, titled Focused inSights 2024: Consumer Choices, examine changes in consumer choices and motivations between 2022 and 2024.
This latest report from The Vision Council’s inSights Research Program reveals how consumers make decisions related to eye exams, online and in-store purchases, and prescription and non-prescription eyewear. The report also highlights how salespeople and eyecare providers influence consumers’ choices.
“Our latest research sheds light on how people make decisions about vision care products and services, revealing which consumer priorities have shifted or remained consistent since 2022,” said Alysse Henkel, Vice President of Research and inSights at The Vision Council. “As expected, most individuals cite getting new eyeglasses as their primary reason for seeking eye exams. However, there has been a notable increase in those identifying ‘maintaining vision health’ as a key motivator compared to 2022. Tracking these consumer motivations over time provides valuable insights into what people want and need in today’s evolving landscape.”
Key Findings:
- Eye Exams: Health maintenance and getting new eyeglasses continue to be the top consumer motivators for seeking an eye exam, with an increase in exams for prescription renewal and health maintenance in 2024.
- Remote Exams: New to this report, the survey showed a small proportion of adults (11%) have had eye exams with remote doctors; 3% have had fully remote exams, with younger adults more open to remote appointments.
- Prescription Eyewear Purchases: Individuals mostly purchase prescription eyeglasses because they have an updated prescription or are replacing worn-out items. A significant increase was seen for consumers using insurance benefits before expiration (+7 percentage points), while motivation to update the style decreased by 6 percentage points.
- Online Purchases: Consumers report purchasing their eye products online because of benefits such as price, selection, convenience, quality, and speed for both prescription and non-prescription products. The share of consumers who are motivated to shop online for non-prescription eyewear due to greater selections of products increased in 2024 by 17 percentage points.
- In-Store Purchases: For prescription eyeglasses, key factors include insurance coverage, distance to store/practice, and previous experience with the location. The importance of insurance coverage to consumers has increased by 8 percentage points in 2024 compared to 2022. For reading glasses, product availability, the ability to try on eyewear, and previous experience are leading factors.
- Influence of Salespeople and Eyecare Providers: The reported influence of salespeople on eyewear purchases decreased across all product categories in 2024 compared to 2022, with one exception: prescription eyeglasses. Eyecare providers have a higher influence on prescription eyeglasses purchases compared to other product categories, with their influence on purchasing decisions rising by 6 points in 2024 compared to 2022.
This survey was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of The Vision Council between August 27-28, 2024, with a sample of 2,202 U.S. adults, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, region, gender by age, and race by educational attainment.
The full report is available for download in The Vision Council’s Research Download Center. It is complimentary for members of The Vision Council, with a paid option for non-members.