The online eyewear market - France

The optics market comprises products and accessories used for vision, grouped into three main categories: prescription and non-corrective eyewear, sunglasses and contact lenses.Optical e-commerce, which refers to the online sale of these products, is a developing sub-segment within the overall optical market. It is influenced by structural trends such as the ageing of the population, the digitization of purchasing behaviour and the evolution of distribution between physical stores and online platforms. Despite an explosion in e-commerce, with sales rising from 37.7 billion euros in 2011 to a projected 175 billion euros in 2024, the online optical market is still struggling to establish itself in France. by 2023, it will account for just 7% of total optical sales, compared with an average of 11% for retail as a whole, and rates of 16% to 21% in more advanced markets such as the UK and Australia. This limited take-up can be explained by structural obstacles, such as the need for physical fittings and personalized adjustments, which still make in-store visits unavoidable. Nevertheless, the optical market is showing robust growth, with a projected 5.9% increase in 2022 in France. the major physical chains (Optical Center, Krys, Optic 2000) also dominate the online segment, capturing a significant share of traffic thanks to their reputation and omnichannel presence. in June 2023, Optical Center recorded 603,000 visits, compared with 464,000 for Krys and 324,000 for Optic 2000, while pure players such as Polette and Lunettes Pour Tous attracted 179,000 and 110,000 visits respectively. By 2024, 84% of French people will own sunglasses, and 91% will wear them regularly or occasionally, making them a key driver of the online market. 25% of sales of non-corrective sunglassesnow come via the Internet, compared with just 7% for corrective glasses and contact lenses. This dynamic is reinforced by the rise of low-cost sunglasses, whose sales in the €10-30 bracket have exploded by 41% in 2023, to the detriment of the premium and luxury segments. In addition, changing consumer expectations are having a strong influence on the market: 50% of online eyewear buyers are in the low-income category, and 43% in the middle-income category, reflecting strong price sensitivity. the lens market, meanwhile, remains under-exploited in France, with sales of €255 million, far behind the UK (€480 million) and Germany (€320 million). Yet only 8.6% of people with ametropia wear contact lenses, and 90% of sales still go through opticians, indicating a growth potential for e-commerce. To meet consumer expectations and remove disincentives to purchase, market players are investing in immersive technological solutions: in 2023, Google launched a virtual trial (VTO) based on artificial intelligence, and in 2024, Walmart introduced a 3D fitting feature with 750 models of glasses and the ability to measure pupillary distance online. This convergence between the digital and the physical illustrates the evolution of the market, where traditional chains and pure players are vying with each other in innovation to win over customers still attached to the in-store experience.