Retail Rebound in March
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), retail sales rebounded with huge gains in March as government checks and vaccinations made it easier for shoppers to get out. NRF’s calculation of retail sales — which excludes cars, gas and restaurants – showed March was up 7.4 percent seasonally adjusted from February and up 17.7 percent unadjusted on-year. That compared with a month-over-month decrease of 3.4 percent and an increase of 7.2 percent on-year in February. The NRF forecasts 2021 retail sales will increase between 6.5 and 8.2 percent over 2020, for a total between $4.33 trillion and $4.4 trillion. nrf.com
ECP March Insights Out
The Vision Council released the March 2021 Eyecare Provider Insights Survey results. The survey, which launched in March 2020 and is conducted on an ongoing basis to track the state of the optical market, asked over 1,700 ECPs to provide insight about how business conditions compare to a typical month, pre-pandemic. The survey also asked them for their economic outlook for 2021. Key takeaways include: patient volume has improved with 51 percent saying the number of exams in March was normal or better (11 percent more than February), capture rate continues to be strong with 65 percent of providers reporting it as normal or better than a typical March, 95 percent of owners believe business conditions will stay the same or get better in three to six months, and overall, more respondents are reporting business beginning to get back to normal with 52 percent reporting revenue is normal or better compared to a typical March. Lastly, telehealth use fell; 41 percent of respondents said they offered telehealth, down from 50 percent in January, and of those offering it, only 11 percent said use increased from last month. thevisioncouncil.org
WCO’S Myopia Standard
The World Council of Optometry (WCO) approved a resolution advising ODs on a standard of care for myopia management. It defines the evidence-based standard of care as having three main components: Mitigation, educating on factors to prevent or delay onset; Measurement, evaluating patients during regular exams; and Management, addressing patients’ need for immediate correction and intervention to slow progression. It advises ODs to incorporate the standard of care in their practice to include public education and early, frequent discussions with parents on what myopia is, lifestyle factors, increased risks to long-term ocular health, and approaches to management. worldcouncilofoptometry.info