NEW YORK--While the number of annual eye exams performed across the country has remained relatively stable on an annual basis, one thing is clear: independents are generating the largest share of them.

When it comes to choosing where to have their eyes examined, adults requiring vision correction, over the age of 18, report they are going to independent ECPS and this ratio has been growing, according to VisionWatch, the continous study of consumer eyewear attitudes and purchasing behavior, conducted by Jobson Optical Research and the VCA. In the 12 months ending March 2004, 65.8 percent of the eye exams were done at independent locations. For the 12 months ending March 2006, that percentage was 66.8 percent.

Chain locations, in contrast, were the place for eye exams 34.2 percent of the time in the 12-month period ending March 2004; in March 2006, for a comparable period, that percentage was 33.2 percent.

There is often a relationship between where the exam happens and the subsequent purchase of eyeglasses or contact lenses.

But another development to be aware of is that repurchase cycles vary. Independents’ patient base can be an opportunity to capture that business, particularly if the patient base is analyzed by age and income.

One of the interesting developments in the current eyeglass repurchase cycle trend over the past year or so has been the distinct differences among various age groups in these cycles.

While the average repurchase cycle among all adults ages 18 and older is every 2.1 years for the 12 months ending March 2006, the cycle is shorter among  middle-aged and Boomer people and longer, currently, among younger consumers and more modest-income people.

Among patients 18- to 34-years-old, the current repurchase cycle is longest, 2.5 years, for the 12 months ending March 2006. In contrast, it’s shortest, 1.9 years, among those ages 35- to 44-years old, and is slightly shorter, 2.0 years among 45 to 54-year-olds. And for those over 55, the repurchase cycle is comparable to the national average, 2.1 years.

At the same time, the repurchase cycle is shortest, 1.7 years, among higher-income consumers, those with annual household income of over $60,000 per year. For those with lower incomes, under $40,000 per year, the cycle is longest, once every 2.8 years, while for middle-income consumers, it hovers at 2.2 years.  --Marge Axelrad