Independent eyecare professionals (ECPs) share an interdependent relationship with prescription wholesale labs. These labs fulfill multiple roles including manufacturer, distributor, educator and all-around problem solver, among others. Along with the lab’s expertise, these roles are invaluable to independent ECPs, as they rely on them for a wide range of products including lenses, frames, contact lenses, sunglasses, safety glasses and accessories, as well as technical support and information about new products.
20/20’s annual Wholesale Lab Usage survey looks at many levels of the lab and ECP partnership, and provides insights and key metrics that can help you benchmark your practice or retail optical business. We selected some of the most useful findings here.
For a deeper dive and complete findings on the survey data, contact Jobson Research’s Jennifer Waller at [email protected].
–Christine Yeh
METHODOLOGY
20/20’s Wholesale Lab Usage Survey 2024 was conducted during July 2024 by Jobson Optical Research’s in-house research staff. The sample of 216 respondents was derived from the proprietary Jobson Optical Research Database. The 2024 survey was conducted online, and only eyecare professionals at independent locations (one, two or three affiliated practices) who use a wholesale lab for processing lenses or providing other eyewear products and services were qualified to complete the survey. Respondents to the survey were entered in a sweepstakes to win a $200 amazon.com gift card.
Three years of data is shown for trending purposes. The 2022 survey was conducted online in July 2022. 255 respondents at optical retail locations completed the survey and were offered a chance to win a $200 amazon.com gift card as an incentive. The 2023 survey was conducted online in July 2023. 227 respondents at optical retail locations completed the survey and were offered a chance to win a $200 amazon.com gift card as an incentive.
–Jennifer Waller, Director of Research & Business Analytics
