NEW YORK—The latest Optical Business Barometer (OBB) report from Jobson Optical Research shows that the overall optical business rating for March 2015 increased slightly to 3.84 from a February 2015 rating of 3.81. As compared to the March 2014 rating of 3.72, the March 2015 rating has increased slightly, but when further compared to March 2013, the rating is the same at 3.84.

Between February 2015 and March 2015, the confidence rating, a measuring of independent eyecare professionals' outlook for overall optical retail business for the upcoming six months, was down slightly showing a 3.89 as compared to February's rating of 3.91. The March 2015 rating of 3.89 compares to 3.81 in 2014 and 3.79 in 2013.

The Optical Business Barometer is designed to gauge the optical business trends of eyecare professionals at independent optical locations and to provide independent optical retailers with a comparative 'how's business' benchmark. The Optical Business Barometer is a monthly study of a representative sample of independent optical retailers (single locations and groups of no more than 3 locations). It is conducted online by Jobson Optical Research and is designed to take the temperature of the independent optical business. The OBB is based on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is very negative, 3 is neutral, and 5 is very positive.

SOURCE: Jobson Optical Research Business Barometer for March 2015

Additionally, the March 2015 monthly scores for eyeglasses, exams and contact lenses all showed increases from the previous year. The March rating for eyeglasses rose from 3.68 in 2014 to 3.78 in 2015 (and further compared to 3.79 in 2013); the rating for exams rose from 3.77 in 2014 to 3.91 in 2015 (and further compared to 3.82 in 2013); and the rating for contact lenses rose from 3.55 in 2014 to 3.67 in 2015 (comparing to 3.68 in 2013).

SOURCE: Jobson Optical Research Business Barometer for March 2015

Jobson's OBB report is also compared to the Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board. While the Consumer Confidence Index showed an increase in March 2015 to 101.3 (from a revised 98.8 in February 2015), the ratings still do not surpass the Index's high point, which came in January of 2000 with a rating of 144.7.

SOURCE: Jobson Optical Research Business Barometer for March 2015

For more information, visit jobsonresearch.com/obb or contact Jennifer Waller at (212) 274-7164 or jwaller@jobson.com.