Krys, Afflelou, Grand Optical, Optic Santé, Ecouter Voir… In most medium-sized French towns, which see the disappearance of shops in their city centres every year, dotted with abandoned shop windows, one category of stores continues to numerically crush all the others: optical shops, which are over-represented. This exceptional density of opticians is a very French speciality. One shop for every 5,400 inhabitants: this rate is unmatched in the world. And it’s not over! Even today, the deployment of these shops continues. But at a much slower pace than fifteen years ago, when several hundred opened each year.
“It was a period no limit, recalls an industry observer. The reimbursements from complementary health insurance, which were very generous, or even without any restrictions for some, encouraged the acquisition of expensive equipment. With margins so comfortable for opticians that some stores were viable selling less than three pairs a day.
“Economic anomaly”
A phenomenon described, since 2013, as“economic anomaly” by the Xerfi research firm. At the same time, the Court of Auditors judged the sector “opaque and uncompetitive”and the consumer association UFC-Que choisir denounced the price « exorbitant » glasses in France, a source of significant foregone care for the poorest. In his incriminating investigation For your eyes only (Anne Carrière, 2013), the polemicist Pascal Perri directly evoked a “scandal” and denounced a tendency towards “Invoice optimizations”opticians often aligning, according to him, their quotes, not on the real needs of the customer, but on the maximum reimbursement offered by their complementary insurance.
These repeated warnings have prompted the public authorities to legislate from 2014 (Le Roux law on healthcare networks) to try to stop the inflationary spiral of this market of more than 7 billion euros, and allow all French people to equip themselves with glasses. Several regulatory provisions have been taken to erase the excesses of this sector, make it more transparent and facilitate access to care. The overall expenditure nevertheless remains high in a growing market where optical guarantees remain at good levels, and where aesthetic concerns and the quality of visual comfort are determining selection criteria.
Read also (2013) | Optics: competition is increasing, margins too
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A pair of glasses is, in fact, a unique product since it is both a medical device and a fashion accessory, the coverage of which by health insurance has always been marginal. It is the complementary health insurance companies that assume the bulk of the reimbursement, which has become a real commercial issue for them. “For years, to gain market share, particularly on collective contracts, it was about who would offer the best optical guaranteescomments economist François Lévêque, professor at Mines ParisTech. This competition led to a headlong rush on prices, and an illusion of freebies for policyholders, who did not hesitate to change their glasses every year, since it was allowed.
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