The online eyewear market - Italy

The eyewear e-commerce market refers to the online sale of eyewear, sunglasses, and other related accessories through digital platforms. This sector includes resale of eyewear through retailer websites, consumer-oriented brands, fashion e-commerce, and global marketplaces. Online eyewear sales have soared over the past decade, thanks to technological advances and growing consumer confidence in online shopping. The global eyewear market shows a clear trend of continued growth from 2023 to 2030. Starting from a value of $184.3 billion in 2023, it is expected to grow to $326.3 billion by 2030. This represents a 77 percent increase over eight years, with a CAGR of 8.5 percent. E-commerce offers greater convenience than physical stores, allowing consumers to purchase eyewear from home, compare prices and models easily, and take advantage of online discounts and promotions. These websites often offer virtual trial tools and online prescription services, further enhancing the shopping experience. There are about 15 million myopic people in Italy, and the issue is on the rise, registering the highest number of cases among the very young, where more than 2 out of 10 children, as early as age 15, are affected. The main cause can be found in the many hours spent in front of electronic devices. The production value of Italian eyewear showed a substantial growth trend between 2019 and 2023, with an increase of 38%. The Italian sector has an important weight in the market, in fact, half of the largest licensed manufacturers are located in Italy, thus covering 50 percent of the world license production and 25 percent of the world market. The Italian eyewear market is characterized by a strong tendency to export, and about 90% of production is destined for foreign markets.