Contact lenses present huge opportunities.

More Italians are wearing contact lenses, with the number recently hitting 1.7 million users. In 2000, the new demand was converted into some 68 million pairs sold, an increase of 13% over 1999. In tandem with the brighter outlook at this end of the optical industry, sales of contact lens solution to maintain lenses also jumped to more than 12 million units last year.

As a mark of the growing popularity of contact lenses in Italy, the overall market for contact lenses and solution is believed to be worth US$311 million a year, with the lenses alone accounting for US$225 million in sales.

The uptick is said to have been pushed by a changing consumer trend, according to a study by the Assottica Contactology Group, which surveyed 400-odd optical shops from around the country. Users tend to be younger and wear disposable lenses.

At present 66% of all Italian contact lens wearers are under 34. Of these, half of those under 24 wear daily disposable lenses, while the others wear mainly monthly varieties. Indeed, although last year the sales of bi-weekly contacts rose 33%, the monthly 19% to the daily's 10%, market potential is clearly with the younger groups.

The Assottica Contactology study also detected demand rising in the niche market for toric lenses, which are used to correct astigmatism. Last year, sales of toric lenses rose 6% over 1999.

The Italian contact lens market is in fact becoming increasingly specialised. Over the past two years, different kinds of contact lenses have been introduced to the market. Among these, contact lenses which allow for extended use are popular, as are lenses for correcting a variety of eyesight problems.

Contact lenses represent a huge, as yet unexplored market in Italy. With 23 million Italians wearing prescription eyewear, the opportunities certainly seem worthy of observation.

from Anna Cheung, Milan Office