The business of German eyewear manufacturers is doing as well as it did before Corona. As the industry association Spectaris announced on Friday, industry sales rose by 11 percent last year to 4.75 billion euros, just above the level of 2019. For the current year, the optical industry is expecting growth of four to five percent.
It is true that the sharp rise in the cost of living could dampen consumer spending, and there was also the uncertainty surrounding the war in Ukraine. But “demographic change is in full swing, and more and more young people are becoming short-sighted,” said association head Josef May. “We also expect that ametropia due to more home office work will be noticed earlier in the medium term and will continue to increase.” Therefore, the industry expects further growth in domestic and foreign business.
The growth trend in the industry, which has been ongoing since 2011, was interrupted in 2020 by the pandemic. However, the number of employees in 2021, at 20,600, was again 1.5 percent above the previous year’s level and is expected to remain stable or increase further in the current year.
The Spectaris trade association Consumer Optics brings together around 90 manufacturers and wholesalers of spectacle lenses, spectacle frames, contact lenses, sports and sun glasses and binoculars. The pandemic could accelerate market consolidation in the industry and digitization, May said. Artificial intelligence could, for example, identify retinal diseases earlier, but also help to choose the right glasses frame for your own face. (dpa)
