The optical market in France

The optical market encompasses all vision-related products and services, including eyewear (corrective lenses and frames), sunglasses and contact lenses. It is based on an eco-system structured around several players: lens and frame manufacturers, independent opticians and chain stores, as well as online sales platforms. Opticians play a central role, combining trade and health expertise, helping customers choose and adjust their equipment.

This market is highly regulated, notably with the 100% Health reform, which has changed the reimbursement terms for optical equipment. in 2023, 21.8% of corrective eyewear delivered was fully reimbursed, compared with just 9.2% in 2018 (Octika). This trend reflects strong consumer expectations for easier access to vision care, despite the dominance of corrective lenses in optical spending (65% in 2023), far ahead of frames (25%) and contact lenses (10%) (Santé.gouv).

The financing of optical care relies mainly on complementary organizations (mutual insurance companies and insurance companies), which will cover 66.1% of optical expenditure in 2023, compared with 30.3% borne by households and only 3.5% covered by Social Security (Drees).

Moreover, the aging of the population is fuelling demand for optical equipment: the proportion of the population aged 65 and over has risen from 12.7% in 1970 to 21.3% in 2023 (INSEE). Among this age group, 60.8% of men and 58.2% of women claim to have a well-corrected visual problem, compared with just 24% of men and 33.1% of women aged 15-24. However, despite growing demand, medical follow-up remains uneven: in March 2024, 58% of French people consulted an ophthalmologist at least once a year, while 9% never or very rarely consulted one(IFOP).

What's more, the French market is still dominated by chain stores, which, despite accounting for 49% of sales outlets, capture 75% of sales, while independents (51% of stores) generate only 25% of the market (Extencia). This concentration is reinforced by the stranglehold of the major players: optic 2000, Krys, Afflelou and Atol hold 60% of the market, while Générale d'Optique, GrandVision and Optical Center capture a further 15%, leaving only 25% for other players (Extencia).

Despite the rise of digital technology, e-commerce is struggling to establish itself in the optical sector: by 2023, it will account for just 7% of the French optical products market (Extencia), and for contact lenses, 90% of sales still go through physical stores (Octika). This trend is explained by the need for personalized follow-up and precise adjustment, which only an optician can provide.

At the same time, the contact lens segment is going through a crisis in France. Whereas in other European countries, such as Belgium (+19%) and Sweden (+8.55%), the adoption of contact lenses is on the rise, in France their use dropped by -6.6% in 2023, with only 4.8% of French people wearing lenses (Octika).

Recently, the optical market has undergone a major technological transformation with the rise of 3D printing and artificial intelligence:

3D printing is revolutionizing eyewear, enabling greater personalization and optimized production. in March 2025, Thélios (LVMH) unveiled Dior3D, a collection of glasses 3D printed with selective laser sintering (SLS) technology, offering lightness, robustness and innovative design (MIDO 2025).

AI propels connected eyewear into a new era: since 2024, Meta AI on Ray-Ban Stories and RayNeo X3 introduces advanced features such as real-time transcription and instant translation. xiaomi, Baidu and Snap are investing heavily in this market, paving the way for wider adoption, particularly in Asia.

After growing by 4.5% in 2023 compared to 2022, the optical market faces several challenges in 2024:

Rising production costs and falling purchasing power, which could affect consumption.

Pressure from the PLFSS (Projet de loi de financement de la Sécurité sociale), which could impact optical care reimbursement terms.

The challenge of recruiting and remunerating opticians, a key issue in maintaining in-store service quality.

At the same time, consumer expectations are evolving towards more accessible, high-tech equipment, pushing the sector to innovate in terms of manufacturing and uses in order to capture this fast-changing demand.