NEW YORK—The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations increased last week, Feb. 7-13, at a rate of 9 index points, according to Jobson’s most recent Practice Performance Tracker. That places gross revenue at a level above where it was at this same point in time (Week 7) during all three years prior, 5 points above last year, 8 points above 2020, and 16 points above 2019. All optical sales categories increased last week, ranging from 5 index points for contact lenses to 10 index points for frame units.
 
In all categories, except contact lenses, these increases not only recouped the previous week’s decreases but also surpassed them. Gross revenue and lens pairs were both up 9 index points last week and surpassed the -5 index points they both declined the previous week. Also up 9 points, exams/refractions surpassed the -6 index points lost the previous week.
 
Frame units improved the most, increasing 10 points last week compared with the -5 points lost the previous week. Contact lenses only regained 5 of the -7 points lost the previous week.
 
With all optical sales increasing last week, all categories, except contact lenses, are above an average week in 2019—the index baseline assigned a value of 100 for this Optical Business Tracker. Gross revenue, at 114 index points, is the highest above. Exams/refractions is the lowest above at 101 points. The contact lenses category remains below that benchmark at 99 index points.
 
Jobson Optical Research selected 1,500 optical locations that have been operating and reporting their sales to its partners, GPN and ABB Analytics, since 2019. The index has been rebased to an average week in 2019. Going forward, this new index base will be used as an arbitrary benchmark and assigned a value of 100.
 
Click here to view the complete Jobson COVID-19 Performance Tracker