Central Association of Opticians and Optometrists – ZVA
Dusseldorf (ots)
The Central Association of Opticians and Optometrists (ZVA) has published its industry report 2022/2023. It is now available for download on the ZVA website and offers the interested public exciting insights into the current economic situation in the optics industry.
The ophthalmic optics continued to recover from the corona pandemic in 2022, with consumer restraint being noticeable in the second half of the year due to the uncertain economic situation. “I see the fact that we can show an increase in general industry sales despite this as a success for opticians!” emphasizes ZVA President Christian Müller. Against this background, the total industry turnover increased by a further two percent compared to the previous year and is now at 6.7 billion euros (including VAT). Pure eyewear optics developed significantly weaker with an increase of 0.3 percent, but online and multichannel sales fell by five percent, while purely stationary eyewear optics sales grew slightly. The latest findings of a study by the GfK consumer panel (GfK: Growth from Knowledge) on sales channels in ophthalmic optics also show: 88 percent of ophthalmic sales across all possible sales channels were generated by stationary opticians in 2022, with the share of sales going purely online even after an increase in 2021, it returns the following year. Thomas Heimbach, Chairman of the Business Committee of the ZVA, summarizes: “Quality beats online and the consumer knows that. Even after many years of online trading, glasses from the Internet only play a homeopathic role.”
Address the skills shortage
While stationary ophthalmic optics are showing their strength to the outside world, they are increasingly lacking in foundation. And so the gap between vacancies and job-seeking opticians and young professionals is widening, as a current online survey by the ZVA among 968 companies belonging to the guild shows. The demand is high, 42 percent of the companies surveyed were looking for specialist staff in the past six months. In the end, 68 percent of the vacancies could not be filled, and 19 percent had to cut back on the desired qualifications. “We must now keep an eye on the future,” says ZVA President Christian Müller: “New technologies are already having an impact on medical professions and ophthalmic optics must also adapt to the associated changes. This affects not least the training of our own offspring and at the same time requires the expansion of one’s own competencies.”
Low willingness to invest
The Ukraine war, inflation and the associated generally uncertain economic situation are clouding the expectations of companies in terms of sales development – the result is less willingness to invest. According to the online survey, more than half of the companies surveyed will not make any major investments. Only 46 percent are planning a store conversion or additional purchases in the field of refraction and optometric screening.
Optical optics in figures: the ZVA industry report
More detailed information on the effects of current events on the optical industry, current facts and figures on operational structures and survey results on health insurance topics can be found in the ZVA industry report, which is now available on the ZVA website under the following link: www.zva.de/branchenreports
Note to editors: The graphics of the ZVA industry report can be downloaded from the following link: https://zva.de/news/zva-branchenbericht-augenoptik-trotzt-schwieriger-gesamtwirtschaft-lage
Press contact:
Sarah Koester
Association of opticians and optometrists
Alexanderstrasse 25 a
40210 Dusseldorf
Phone: 0211/ 86 32 35-0
Fax: 0211/ 86 32 35-35
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.zva.de
Original content from: Central Association of Opticians and Optometrists – ZVA, transmitted by news aktuell
