P. Smith
Research expert covering apparel industry and general merchandise
Whether you’re an athlete, an actor, or just someone who doesn’t like the appearance of eye glasses, contact lenses can be incredibly useful. Contact lenses are a convenient alternative to glasses, and can be worn by people who wish to alter their natural eye color, making them a versatile product and appealing to a wide range of consumers. The global market for contact lenses is valued at about 11.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, and is projected to grow to about 19.45 billion U.S. dollars by 2024. The vast majority of the revenue generated by the worldwide contact lenses market is attributed to the United States.
In 2019, the market value of corrective contact lenses was forecasted to be 922 million U.S. dollars, making it the most popular usage of contact lenses, while the market for cosmetic contact lenses was forecasted to be 192 million dollars. Cosmetic lenses took up 11 percent of the total market volume in 2016, and this share is not expected to change by 2024.
In North America, soft contacts are by far the most popular type of lenses, probably because of their relative ease of use and comfort compared to hard contact lenses. In the United States, contact lenses that are replaced monthly and daily are the most popular types of soft lenses, taking up about 36 percent of the market share each. When it comes to reusable contact lenses, lens solution is necessary to sanitize and moisten the lenses when one is not wearing them. Private label eye/lens care solutions lead the market in terms of dollar sales, generating about 283.1 million U.S. dollars in 2019, followed by Alcon Opti Free Pure Moist with about 105.3 million dollars in sales.
From 2013 to 2017, approximately 16 percent of adult consumers in the United States wore contact lenses. The most popular place for U.S. consumers to purchase contact lenses is at their eye doctor’s practice, followed by the internet. However, among 18 to 29-year-olds, less than half of consumers purchase their contact lenses at a store. The share of contact lens purchases made online has been slowly creeping upwards from 17.5 percent in 2013 to about 19 percent in 2016.
In 2019, the market value of corrective contact lenses was forecasted to be 922 million U.S. dollars, making it the most popular usage of contact lenses, while the market for cosmetic contact lenses was forecasted to be 192 million dollars. Cosmetic lenses took up 11 percent of the total market volume in 2016, and this share is not expected to change by 2024.
In North America, soft contacts are by far the most popular type of lenses, probably because of their relative ease of use and comfort compared to hard contact lenses. In the United States, contact lenses that are replaced monthly and daily are the most popular types of soft lenses, taking up about 36 percent of the market share each. When it comes to reusable contact lenses, lens solution is necessary to sanitize and moisten the lenses when one is not wearing them. Private label eye/lens care solutions lead the market in terms of dollar sales, generating about 283.1 million U.S. dollars in 2019, followed by Alcon Opti Free Pure Moist with about 105.3 million dollars in sales.
From 2013 to 2017, approximately 16 percent of adult consumers in the United States wore contact lenses. The most popular place for U.S. consumers to purchase contact lenses is at their eye doctor’s practice, followed by the internet. However, among 18 to 29-year-olds, less than half of consumers purchase their contact lenses at a store. The share of contact lens purchases made online has been slowly creeping upwards from 17.5 percent in 2013 to about 19 percent in 2016.
