The contact lens market - France (2024)

1.2 Global market growth

Within a global optics market valued at nearly *** billion euros in ****, the global contact lens market weighed in at around *.* billion dollars in the same year. The contact lens market grew by +**.*% between **** and ****, before dropping by *% in ****, notably due to global inflation, discouraging consumers and prompting them to forego purchases that aren't necessities. Despite this, the global market is expected to continue to grow at a CAGR of +*.*% until ****, reaching around US$**.* billion[***].

Global contact lens market World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

The contact lens market represents a small share of the global optical market (***), as the global market remains largely dominated by corrective lenses and frames, followed by sunglasses.

1.3 The booming domestic market

The French contact lens market reached around *** million euros in ****[***]. The French contact lens market grew by +**% between **** and ****, representing very intense growth over the period. What's more, it has grown faster than the French optical market, accounting for an increasingly significant share of that market: it represented *% of the market in ****, while by **** it would account for *.*%.

Contact lens market and trends France, ****-****, in €M and % Source: ****

The rebound in **** is mainly due to the increase in care volume following the health crisis (***).

If we consider the total market of spectacle wearers in France as a potential market, we can nevertheless observe that contact lenses can still conquer a very large share of the market. In fact, the total market for medical optics spending will amount to *.* billion euros in ****, **.*% of which will be generated by corrective lenses[***].

1.4 Foreign trade

France's trade balance for contact lenses is heavily in deficit, with imports in **** amounting to $***.* million, compared with exports of just $**.* million. Imports, on the other hand, grew by +**.*% between **** and ****, a sign of a very strong recovery in world trade following the restrictions imposed by the health crisis. In ****, France's coverage rate (***) on the contact lens market was only *.*%[***]. In ****, French imports fell by *.*%, while exports rose by **%, taking the coverage rate to **.*%.

Foreign trade France, ****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

France's main contact lens supplier countries are European: Germany, Ireland and Belgium (***)[***].

Main supplier countries France, ****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

Customer countries are much more diversified, but remain predominantly European; led by Germany (***).

Main customer countries France, ****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

2.1 Demand still marginal but with potential

The French still wear few contact lenses, both in comparison with other European countries and in relation to the number of spectacle wearers.

The French prefer glasses

In ****, around * out of * French people will have corrective eyewear. Poor visual health tends to increase with age. Indeed, while **% of **-** year-olds need corrective lenses, this figure rises to **% for **-** year-olds[***]. Nevertheless, the vast majority of French people prefer to wear corrective glasses rather than contact lenses. According to a study conducted by IPSOS / SNOF in ****, among French people equipped with corrective systems, **% claim to wear prescription glasses issued by an optician, while only **% wear contact lenses and *% wear magnifying glasses.

Comparison with other European countries

In terms of the percentage of the population wearing contact lenses, France lags far behind the European leaders. Nordic countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway are well ahead, with **.*%, **.*% and **.*% of the population respectively wearing contact lenses. In France, only *.*% of the population wear contact lenses.

This puts France in *th place in terms of contact lens wear rates among European countries. And yet, statistically speaking, the French have no fewer visual problems than the European average: with only *% of the French population wearing contact ...

2.2 Healthcare spending on the rise in France

Consumption of medical care and goods, including contact lenses, has been rising steadily for several years. This expenditure represented ***.* billion euros in ****, and reached ***.* billion euros in ****, or *.*% of French GDP. Over the period, consumption has therefore risen by **.*%. It is estimated that in ****, annual consumption of medical care and goods reached **** euros per capita, it now stands at **** euros per capita.[***]

Consumption of medical care and goods France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

Medical optics account for *.*% of consumer spending on healthcare and medical goods, and will amount to *.* billion euros in ****. This segment has seen a very dynamic rise in spending thanks to higher reimbursements by complementary organizations, and in particular the generalization of company supplementary insurance introduced in ****. Growth was particularly strong following the post-covid recovery (***)[***].

Among these optical expenses, the share of lenses remains very low, however. While it remained stable for a long time (***), it has seen a significant increase since the pandemic; now reaching *.*% of optical expenditure.

The specific financing structure of optical expenses

Optical expenses are an exception in terms of coverage by the Assurance Maladie: optics is the item of expenditure where households are asked to contribute the most, with the highest ...

2.3 French preferences

Reasons for choosing lenses

While discomfort is the main reason why contact lenses are abandoned(***), contact lens wearers point to numerous advantages over glasses.

Reasons for wearing contact lenses France, ****, in Source: ****

France's favorite opticians

In ****, France's favorite optical brand is Optic ****. This top ranking is primarily due to the richness of the Optic **** network. With over *,*** stores in France, **% of the French population is less than ** minutes from anOptic **** store. The **** optician rankings are as follows:

Rank Name of French who like the brand Number of stores in France * Optic **** **,*% +**** * Krys **,*% *** * Afflelou **,*% *** * Optical Center **,*% *** * Générale d'Optique **,*% *** Source: ****

3.1 Value chain

The care pathway and the different healthcare professionals involved

Only an ophthalmologist can issue a prescription for contact lenses, but not all ophthalmologists practice contactology. During the appointment, the specialist examines the eyes through various tests, then draws up the prescription according to the person's specific needs. The first prescription is valid for one year, and once renewed, lenses can be purchased for a further * years. Patients can then purchase their lenses through a variety of distribution channels, mainly opticians or the Internet.

The various healthcare professionals involved in the treatment process are :

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who can issue prescriptions for glasses or contact lenses. Theoptician is usually the person who delivers the glasses or contact lenses, and can provide advice on how to use them. Orthoptists can carry out re-education or visual assessments, and often work in collaboration with an ophthalmologist.

3.2 Contact lens manufacturing

The contact lens manufacturing sector is highly concentrated, dominated by a handful of laboratory manufacturers, including Bausch & Lomb, Ciba Vision, Cooper Vision, Johnson & Johsnon, Menicon... These laboratories are major international groups.

Among the French laboratories manufacturing contact lenses is LCS, specialized in premium made-to-measure lenses. The company holds a patent for a hybrid contact lens (***), which is both flexible around the periphery and rigid in the center. We should also mention Precilens, the first laboratory to offer progressive lenses; or *M contact - Europtic, the result of the merger of the two laboratories *M contact and Europtic.

To approach the segment of contact lens manufacturers in France, we can look at NAF code **.**B "Manufacture of spectacles". It should be noted, however, that this category includes manufacturers of spectacles, sunglasses and contact lenses, so the scope is not strictly identical to that of the study, although many lens manufacturers are also manufacturers of other optical equipment. [***]

In ****, there were *** establishments registered under this NAF code in France, compared with *** in ****, a contraction of **.*%. Nevertheless, the concentration of the sector has remained fairly stable over the past few years.

Number of establishments under code **.**B France, ****-**** Source: ****

The number of employees ...

3.3 Distribution and profitability

Contact lens distribution

Here we consider the data provided by NAF code **.**A "Optical retailing", which includes the activities of opticians. Note, however, that this code does not include all types of lens distributors. In contrast to the lens and eyewear manufacturing activity, the number of establishments and employees increased between **** and ****, reaching **,*** optical retailers, employing **,*** people in France[***].

Number of establishments under code **.**A France, ****-**** Source: ****

Workforce under code **.**A France, ****-**** Source: ****

Optician activity is particularly concentrated in the Ile de France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions. The map above can be read by color intensity: the darker areas indicate a very high number of manufacturers in the region concerned; conversely, the lighter areas indicate that the region concerned has few manufacturers compared with the rest of the country[***].

An unprofitable business

Nevertheless, the contact lens business remains unprofitable for opticians. In ****, opticians achieved overall sales of *.** billion euros, up **.*% on ****. But most of their profits come from the sale of corrective lenses and frames, followed by the sale of sunglasses, with the sale of contact lenses remaining the least profitable of all activities[***].

Margin rates by segment France, **** - ****, in Source: ****

3.4 The boom in online sales since they became official

Online contact lens sales accelerated sharply with the formalization of Internet lens sales in **** (***). In ****, while only *% of French people believe they will favor online purchases for their optical expenses, this figure rises to **% for contact lens purchases[***]. The digitalization of the sector is therefore booming.

This liberalization has also altered the structure of the market, allowing the entry of new players such as online opticians. The market has seen the emergence of "pure players" such as VisionDirect.fr. Retail groups have also seized the opportunity to enter the online contact lens market, such as Leclerc, which founded Optique E-Leclerc. Opticians with physical stores then retaliated by launching their own e-commerce sites. These include Optic ****, Krys and Afflelou.

4.1 The different types of contact lenses

By type and lifespan

Depending on how they're made, lenses can be soft or rigid, and they don't all require the same frequency of renewal. The choice among all these parameters is made by the ophthalmologist when prescribing lenses.

Soft lenses

Soft lenses can be daily, bi-monthly or monthly. The most common are those renewed once or twice a month, as they are adapted to the greatest number of people, and can correct almost all sight problems. Daily lenses, as opposed to monthly or twice-monthly lenses, are for single use only.

There are two types of soft contact lenses, depending on their material:

Hydrophilic Silicone-hydrogel: these lenses let * times more oxygen through to the cornea than hydrophilic lenses, making them more comfortable to wear. Rigid lenses

These lenses can last up to a year in total, but are much more delicate to care for. They are particularly suited to astigmatism. These lenses are smaller than the diameter of the cornea, unlike soft lenses, which are larger than the cornea.

By function

Contact lenses can have different functions: corrective, cosmetic or therapeutic. The most common, however, are corrective lenses.

Corrective lenses are those used to treat various vision disorders: hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism ...

4.2 An upward trend in lentil prices

If we consider the data provided by INSEE for the "medical optics" category, we observe that the consumer price index for medical optics items has been on the rise since ****, gaining +*.*% over ****-****[***].

Consumer price index for medical optics France, ****-****, base *** in **** Source: ****

Annual budget of a contact lens wearer vs. a spectacle wearer

Contact lens wearers and spectacle wearers do not follow the same economic model: indeed, for the majority of lenses (***). Nevertheless, it is estimated that the average annual budget spent by a contact lens wearer is higher than that of a spectacle wearer: according to a study published in the Observatoire de l'Optique, it is estimated that annual sales generated by a contact lens wearer can reach * to *.* times those generated by a consumer who wears only glasses. [***]

Indicative lens purchase prices

By type

Source: ****

According to correction

Source: ****

Additional costs

Cost of lens care products

This additional budget does not apply to daily lenses, which do not require lens care. For other types of lenses, the price of the care product can vary enormously depending on the point of sale and the optician, but is often around €** for a ***-*** mL bottle, depending on the ...

4.3 Supply trends

Lenses and the environment

The contact lens market is particularly polluting, especially as many consumers use daily lenses. According to an American study published in the NY Times, around **% of contact lens users flush their lenses down the toilet or sink. This waste then inevitably finds its way into the oceans, where it contributes significantly to pollution via micro-plastics. In fact, around ** tonnes of this waste are recorded in the Atlantic Ocean every year[***]. Also in June ****, MB Production unveiled a new range of eco-responsible materials for the manufacture of eyewear: this collection incorporates materials derived from the recycling of used spectacle frames and organic fibers.

The zoom lens

Developed by researchers in San Diego (***), these are lenses that zoom in by blinking twice. The technology is based on the electrical energy naturally produced by eyeball movements, such as blinking and looking around. Their commercialization, however, is not foreseen in the near future.

Connected lenses

French researchers at the Institut Mines-Télécom have developed the very first connected lens, powered by a flexible micro-battery integrated into the lens. This represents a major step towards the vision of "augmented man": the project is being closely followed by the US army, which ...

5.1 Regulations governing the sale of contact lenses

Prior to ****, internet sales of healthcare products (***) were prohibited in France. The European Commission then obliged France to open up the market to online opticians, but the market remained without a legislative framework for several years following this decision. The online sale of optical products was then gradually regulated by a succession of laws:

Hamon law of ****

Law no. ****-*** of March **, **** on consumer affairs, also known as the Hamon Law, aims to rebalance relations between consumers and businesses. The main provisions relating to the optical sector are as follows:

It is no longer necessary to be a qualified optician to open and manage a sales outlet for corrective lenses and glasses, but the presence of a qualified optician is mandatory On the other hand, only a qualified optician is authorized to dispense corrective lenses Opticians and pharmacists no longer have a monopoly on the sale of lens care products: the possibility of selling these products is also open to online sites and supermarkets in particular

Decree n°****-**** of ****

This decree n°****-**** establishes a list of compulsory information to be included on sites selling optical products online, including :

Link to current optical regulations Link to the Agence nationale de ...

5.2 Social Security reimbursement

Assurance Maladie covers only a very small proportion of contact lenses, and mainly those prescribed for reasons other than the correction of a visual problem. The lenses covered are those prescribed for the following reasons:

Irregular astigmatism Accommodative squint Myopia greater than or equal to * dioptres Aphakia Anisometropia up to * diopters that cannot be corrected with glasses Keratoconus

In this case, the Assurance Maladie covers **% of the annual fixed price, set at €**.** for all types of lenses. In other cases, contact lens users may be reimbursed for part of the cost via their complementary health insurance (***), depending on the terms of their contract. [***]

The ***% Health reform

The framework for reimbursements made by the Assurance Malade is changing significantly in ****. Indeed, the ***% Santé reform has been in force since January *, ****, with the aim of combating renunciation, which was particularly high in optical, dental and audioprosthesis, by proposing an offer with zero out-of-pocket expenses. In optics, the rate of waivers for financial reasons has been as high as **% in recent years.

In the case of optics in particular, all opticians will be obliged to offer a "***% Health basket", i.e. a package fully covered by Social Security and complementary health insurance. Contact lenses, ...

6.1 Segmentation

• Bausch & Lomb
• Johnson & Johnson Vision Care
• Cooper Vision
• Laboratoires Alcon - CIBA VISION
• Atol Les Opticiens
• Afflelou
• Krys Group
• Malentille.com
• Direct Optic (Acuitis Groupe)
• Sensee
• Menicon