The contact lens market in France

Vision disorders are a recurring problem, and one that is of growing concern to the French and the world in general. By 2050, almost half the world's population will be myopic, compared with 30% today.

As early as 1508, Leonardo da Vinci wrote the Codex of the Eye. In it, he proposed a method for modifying the power of the cornea using water. Today, he is considered the precursor of contact lenses. It wasn't until 1949, however, that the first contact lenses were produced, and they enjoyed dazzling success in the 50s and 60s.the first soft contact lenses were marketed in 1971, and researchers remained obsessed with improving their techniques for greater comfort and efficiency. In 1998, they launched the first silicone-hydroge lenses. Today, the process is used and improved by all other manufacturers, but research continues.

Contact lenses are a type of optical equipment consisting of a thin lens placed on the eye to correct a visual problem, treat an eye defect or improve appearance. Together with corrective eyewear and sunglasses , they form part of the category of optical equipment. This study will consider the entire contact lens value chain, from manufacture to distribution and consumption by the end customer. However, particular attention will be paid to corrective lenses rather than therapeutic or cosmetic lenses, as corrective lenses account for a very large share of the contact lens market in France.

The French contact lens market is expected to shrink by almost 6% between 2022 and 2023 . With eight billion boxes of lenses sold by 2023, the market is in upheaval. On the one hand, we are witnessing an increase in vision-related illnesses and disorders, which tend to boost the market, coupled with an economic climate in which the demands on eyesight have become even greater since the Covid. On the other hand, there is little interest in contact lenses, or even discomfort when wearing them, which is holding back the arrival of new consumers.

While the contact lens manufacturing market is rather condensed, the distribution market is much more fragmented, with the number of optician outlets steadily increasing since 2007. Nevertheless, it is facing new challenges: connected lenses, less polluting lenses, changes in behavior with the democratization of surgical masks...