MASON, Ohio (Jan. 19, 2021) – Pearle Vision has again been ranked the nation’s top Eye Care franchise on Entrepreneur magazine’s prestigious Franchise 500® list. The magazine’s annual rankings are based on outstanding performance in areas such as unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.
Pearle Vision was ranked No. 1 for the second consecutive year in the Eye Care category, which was created last year. Pearle Vision is ranked No. 32 overall, placing the brand in the Top 6% of all franchises on the list.
“2020 was a challenging year for everyone, but it was also a year of unusual opportunity,” says Jason Feifer, Entrepreneur editor-in-chief. “Franchises were able to be nimble and innovative, serving the needs of franchisees and customers in ways that will resonate for many years to come. We believe that, when we eventually look back on this time, we’ll see it as a moment when many brands defined themselves for the future.”
This is the 13th consecutive year that Pearle Vision has been ranked among the Franchise 500 and the 37th time in the 42 years that the annual list has been published. Entrepreneur receives more than 1,100 applications for ranking, making the list an invaluable tool for potential franchisees.
“We are pleased that the strength of Pearle Vision’s franchise opportunity is reflected by its position at the top of the Eye Care category in the Franchise 500,” said Alex Wilkes, general manager of Pearle Vision. “As a premium optical brand, we are proud of Pearle Vision’s legacy, its leadership in our industry and its commitment to our licensed owners and patients.”
Pearle Vision’s top ranking comes on the heels of a year in which the brand remained steadfastly focused on growth even as it coped with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pearle Vision opened 16 new EyeCare Centers and signed several area development agreements. Additionally, eight independent optometry practices were converted to Pearle Vision franchise locations through the brand’s Ignite program, with four more conversions in process and expected to be completed in early 2021. Ignite allows independent practice owners to retain control of their businesses while strengthening their businesses with infrastructure improvements from Pearle Vision.
“We celebrate the growth in all of these new markets and are excited to see our Ignite program gain traction, as more eye doctors discover they could spend more time with their patients by converting to a Pearle Vision location,” Wilkes said. “As a brand founded on taking care of people, we look forward to bringing genuine eye care to patients in more communities as we move forward together.”
The key factors considered in the Franchise 500 are costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500 in ranking order. Details on the Franchise 500 are available at entrepreneur.com/franchise500; the rankings also are featured in the January/February issue of Entrepreneur, now available on newsstands.
About Pearle Vision
Pearle Vision was founded in 1961 by Dr. Stanley Pearle, who began the concept of one-stop, total eye care with the opening of the Pearle Vision Center in Savannah, Ga. Dr. Pearle combined complete eye exams with an extensive selection of eyewear. In 1981, Pearle Vision began offering franchise opportunities to select doctors and opticians. Today, with more than 500 EyeCare Centers located throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, Pearle Vision is built around a doctor-centered business model with a primary focus to deliver genuine eye care to patients and become the neighborhood trusted source for all their eye care and eyewear needs. Pearle Vision is owned by Luxottica, a leader in premium fashion, luxury and sports eyewear. For more information, visit PearleVision.com. To learn more about the Pearle Vision franchise opportunity, visit ownapearlevision.com or call 1-800-PEARLE-1.
This is not intended as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a franchise. Within the U.S.A. and Canada, we offer franchises solely by means of our Franchise Disclosure Document. Certain states in the U.S.A., provinces in Canada, and other countries have laws governing the offer and sale of franchises. If you are a resident of one of these states/provinces, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable legal requirements in your state. This information about our franchise opportunity is intended solely for residents of the United States and Canada.
