New Trends in the Eyewear Industry

By 2028, the global eyewear market is expected to reach $172 billion, up from $115 billion in 2021.  This includes prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses, but also specialized categories like sports and worker safety.  Much of the industry’s growth is driven by innovations in eyeglass design and changes in consumer shopping habits. 

Eyeglass design may seem simple to outsiders, but the reality is anything but.  Eyewear providers are constantly creating new features to address specific conditions.  For example, the necessity of working from home has caused a record number of people to develop computer vision syndrome.  Eyewear providers address this by offering blue light-filtering glasses to their customers.  Light adaptive contact lenses grew in popularity thanks to their ability to reduce dryness and irritation.  Smart glasses are already on the market, though their time is expected to come in the future.
As for consumers, people in need of eyeglasses are buying more pairs than they used to.  Instead of one pair every few years, it’s multiple pairs in one year.  This can get expensive, leading savvy consumers to only buy replacement lenses instead of whole new pairs.  This option reduces cost and preserves individual style.  Best of both worlds!