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Sunglasses Stores in Australia - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Claudia Burgio-Ficca Claudia Burgio-Ficca Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: November 2025 ANZSIC OD5153

Revenue

$508.6m

2025-26

$508.6m

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xm

Employees

1,600

Businesses

206

Wages

$XX.Xm

Sunglasses Stores in Australia industry analysis

The sunglasses store industry is navigating a climate of demand volatility driven by consumer sentiment and discretionary spending. Recent ABS data show how quickly fortunes can swing, with spending on clothing, footwear, and personal accessories, which includes sunglasses, falling 3.2% in June 2025 after a 12.5% hike in May 2025. Annual spending data has also been uneven, with a 0.3% expansion in clothing, footwear and personal accessories sales in 2023-24, following significantly softer growth of 2.6% in 2024-25. Against that backdrop, sunglasses stores have had to contend with intense competition from online-only platforms, department and discount department stores, and to a lesser extent, clothing retailers, which has pressured prices and margins even as consumers’ willingness to spend on fashion and accessories remains sensitive to shifts in income and confidence. The rise of online shopping, supported by a growing online share of total sales, is reshaping where and how sunglasses are bought, underscoring the need for omnichannel capabilities.

Trends and Insights

  • Competitive pressures are intensifying, squeezing margins for bricks-and-mortar stores as online rivals grow. Retailers must lean into omnichannel strategies, price-competitive online platforms and exclusive experiences to stay relevant.
  • Fashion trends drive women's sunglasses sales, with luxury branding and celebrity collaborations boosting demand. Instore try-ons and limited editions enhance desirability among younger shoppers who value brand identity and tactile experiences.
  • Sydney and Melbourne have high population densities. These major cities are economic hubs, and sunglasses stores benefit from setting up operations in these areas.
  • Regulatory barriers shape entry and ongoing compliance. Sunglasses retailers must meet safety standards, obtain ABN and ASIC registration and follow the Australian Consumer Law, which raises entry costs and reduces risk for compliant players.
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.6 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $508.6m in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Economic uncertainty has created demand volatility

  • Sunglass purchases are a discretionary expense, with trends in income and consumer sentiment altering the spending budgets of consumers. According to ABS data, spending on clothing, footwear and personal accessories, which includes sunglasses, slumped 3.2% in June 2025, following growth of 12.5% only one month earlier in May 2025. Annual sales have also exhibited significant volatility, with spending on clothing, footwear and personal accessories rising 0.3% in 2023-24 and 2.6% in 2024-25.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Sunglasses Stores in Australia
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Online sales will account for a larger share of the market

  • Retail trading conditions are set to improve. Easing inflationary pressure and the prospect of interest rate cuts are likely to boost income levels, leaving consumers with more money to spend on discretionary goods. Anticipated improvements in consumer sentiment will also strengthen the spending power of consumers, supporting an upswing in sunglass sales. However, it won’t all be smooth sailing, with mounting competition continuing to challenge the market.

Biggest companies in the Sunglasses Stores in Australia

Company
Market Share (%)
2026
Revenue ($m)
2026
Bright Eyes Franchising
22.3
EssilorLuxottica
240.0

To view the market share and analysis for all 2 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Sunglasses Stores in Australia
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Men's sunglasses, Women's sunglasses and Prescription sunglasses, accessories and repairs. Men's sunglasses is the largest segment of the Sunglasses Stores in Australia.

Trends and Insights

Fashion trends fuel sales of women’s sunglasses

  • While the primary function of sunglasses is eye protection, women's purchasing decisions are equally influenced by fashion and lifestyle factors. Demand is driven by shifting style trends, the appeal of luxury and designer brands and the impact of celebrity collaborations and influence marketing. Seasonal collaborations and limited-edition releases enhance desirability among younger consumers, selling both aesthetic expression and brand identity.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Businesses in the industry sell prescription and non-prescription sunglasses. Sunglasses stores may also provide fitting and lens processing services. Products are sourced from upstream manufacturers and wholesalers before being sold to downstream consumer markets.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia include Women's sunglasses , Men's sunglasses and Prescription sunglasses, accessories and repairs.

Companies

Companies covered in the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia include Bright Eyes Franchising and EssilorLuxottica.

Purchase this report to view all 2 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia include point of sale (pos), radio frequency identification (rfid) and ultraviolet (uv).

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 4259 - Sunglasses Stores in Australia

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Competitive pressures are intensifying, squeezing margins for bricks-and-mortar stores as online rivals grow. Retailers must lean into omnichannel strategies, price-competiti...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Fashion trends drive women's sunglasses sales, with luxury branding and celebrity collaborations boosting demand. Instore try-ons and limited editions enhance desirability am...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Sydney and Melbourne have high population densities. These major cities are economic hubs, and sunglasses stores benefit from setting up operations in these areas.

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Regulatory barriers shape entry and ongoing compliance. Sunglasses retailers must meet safety standards, obtain ABN and ASIC registration and follow the Australian Consumer L...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Luxottica South Pacific Holdings Pty Ltd participates in the industry through its Sunglass Hut brand. The brand is Australia’s largest sunglasses store chain, offering a rang...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Bright Eyes Franchising's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of EssilorLuxottica's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Bright Eyes Franchising, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for EssilorLuxottica, and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Consumer sentiment trends drive retail spending on sunglasses. The current cost-of-living crisis, owing to strong inflation and rising interest rates, has weakened consumer s...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Profitability is being squeezed by intense competition and price sensitivity. While premium players like Sunglass Hut can command higher margins, volatile demand has weighed ...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia in 2025?

The market size of the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia is $508.6m in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia in 2025?

There are 206 businesses in the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.3 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia?

The Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia?

The Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia has been growing at a CAGR of 3.6 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia?

The biggest companies operating in the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia are Bright Eyes Franchising and EssilorLuxottica

What does the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia include?

Women's sunglasses and Men's sunglasses are part of the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia?

The company holding the most market share in the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia is Bright Eyes Franchising.

How competitive is the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Sunglasses Stores industry in Australia.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Australia include:

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

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