UK eye care market led by Optrex from Reckitt Benckiser

The UK eye care market reached sales of £62 million in 2012, increasing by 6% in current value terms.

The category was driven by sales of standard eye care products, which increased by 7% in current value terms to reach sales of £52 million.

Growth was driven by launches of innovative formulae which overcome consumers' problems in applying eye drops correctly.

The UK population is ageing and ageing rapidly. Over the past 25 years the proportion of the population over 65 increased from 15 per cent in 1984 to 16 per cent in 2009, an increase of 1.7 million people. The next 25 years will see an even higher proportion - 23 per cent of the population - aged over 65 by 2034, supported by a shrinking proportion of working age adults to support them.

Although all age groups can be affected, the main causes of visual impairment in the UK have a higher incidence among the over 65s.

More than six in ten adults now wear spectacles (32 million), an increase of 2 million since 2004. Alongside increased numbers of spectacle wearers, the number of contact lens wearers has grown by 0.5m in the same period to reach 4 million.

Despite this growth in optical goods consumers, the market for laser eyesight correction continues to develop and has become a small, but significant alternative to spectacles or contact lenses.

The optical profession has more ground to make up if it is to encourage everyone to have regular eye exams. Almost one in ten adults, nearly 5 million people, has never had an eye test and a similar number have not been to an optician for over five years.

Aside from Optrex from Reckitt Benckiser, which was the leading brand in the United Kingdom eye care market during 2012, with a 44% value share, eye care is a relatively fragmented category, with the competition increasing as companies launch more brand variants to meet growing consumer needs.

Reckitt Benckiser's brand Optrex has a 50% value share in standard eye care, and sales continue to increase due to continued marketing support for Optrex ActiMist, despite having an RRP of over £15 per pack, boosted by a new formulation launched in summer 2012.

For more information on the UK eye care market, see the latest research: UK Eye Care Market

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