20/20 has long coveted independent eyewear brands—that is, eyewear with an exclusively optical heritage and distinctly separate from a brand derived from an already existing designer name or lifestyle company. Freshly dubbed Independent Eyewear by 20/20, this category is close to our optical hearts. It pays close attention to the detailed work of designers, craftsman and artisans who focus their attention on the art of frame design. After multiple photo features, columns and editorials dedicated exclusively to this independence, we tasked our in-house research team to seek out and survey optical dispensaries about the impact of this rapidly growing category.

The data confirms that eyewear-specific brands are a significant part of the market and further prove that eyewear backed by intelligent design and old-world craftsmanship is ever more relevant in today’s fast-fashion, mass-appeal obsessed consumerism. The study reveals that 64 percent of independent optical retailers surveyed dispense such eyewear, and 20/20 foresees this number going up and to the right in the coming years as that much buzzed about generation—The Millennials—comes of age in the optical arena. To add to its potency, 47 percent of independents surveyed dispense more than five Independent Eyewear brands—showing real strength in numbers that this category is the one to watch. Here we present all the findings from the inaugural Independent Eyewear MarketPulse Survey.

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Source: 2015 Independent Eyewear MarketPulse Survey

Source: 2015 Independent Eyewear MarketPulse Survey

Source: 2015 Independent Eyewear MarketPulse Survey

Source: 2015 Independent Eyewear MarketPulse Survey



METHODOLOGY

Independent Eyewear refers to brands that are eyewear heritage brands, for example, Silhouette and LaFont. This sample was derived from the proprietary Jobson Optical Research database. This survey was conducted by Jobson Optical Research’s in-house research staff. Data collection was conducted in July 2015. Only the responses of independent optical retailers that dispense Independent Eyewear are included in the report. The 2015 sample consists of 216 respondents. All participants were recruited by e-mail, and the questionnaire was completed online.

—Jennifer Waller, Senior Research Analyst