NEW YORK—According to the latest Optical Business Barometer (OBB) from Jobson Research, business attitude among independent ECPs in the month of May reflected a slightly lower level compared to the April 2012 Barometer. The index charting business attitudes dipped slightly in several areas, with the 3.5 index for May showing a decrease as compared to the prior month’s index of 3.7. Looking forward to the next six months, the confidence rating stands at 3.8 for May, unchanged since April’s rating of ECP attitudes.

Ratings in the vision care arena were off slightly with the eyeglasses and eye exams ratings for May all declining when compared to April. The eyeglasses rating for May dipped from 3.6 in April to 3.5 for May, while contact lenses rose from 3.5 to 3.6 from April to May. Overall, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and exams ratings among independents decreased in April and May from highs scored in the first 3 months of 2012.

Regional ratings in May varied as follows: for the Northeast Census Region, ratings declined in May to 3.5 from April’s 3.8; the Midwest and West Census Regions decreased from 3.7 in April to 3.5 in May while the South Region remained steady at 3.6. 


The findings of the OBB are compared to those in the Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board. May 2012’s Consumer Confidence Index stands at 64.9, a decline from April 2012’s 68.7; however, it is worth noting the significant gain since October 2011’s Index of 40.5, as well as the steady decline that has been in effect since February 2012 when the Index reached 71.6. The highest Confidence Index came in January 2000 at 144.7; the lowest, 25.3 was recorded in February 2009.


A monthly survey of a representative sample of independent optical retailers (single locations and groups of no more than three locations), the OBB is designed to gauge the optical business trends of eyecare professionals at independent optical locations. Conducted online by Jobson Optical Research, the OBB is designed to measure attitudes of independent eyecare professionals about the current business climate and outlook. The OBB is based on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is “very negative”, 3 is “neutral” and 5 is “very positive.”

For the full Optical Business Barometer Report, go to www.JobsonResearch.com.