In the first five months of 2026, the total retail sales volume of contact lens solutions across all distribution channels (including marketplaces and optical stores) reached 5.7 million packages, with a value of RUB 2.6 billion (at retail prices including VAT). Compared to the same period in 2025, Russian spending increased by 9.4%, while physical consumption increased by 5.3%. These results are consistent with the long-term trend of recent years, in which annual consumption growth in packages has ranged from +5% to +7%. In the full year 2025, residents of our country purchased 13.6 million packages of contact lens solutions worth RUB 6.1 billion, with ruble growth compared to 2024 recorded at +7.4% and physical sales volume increasing by 4.4%.

In recent years, the distribution channel structure for contact lens solutions has seen a clear shift in favor of online commerce. According to the "Retail Audit of Ophthalmic Products Sales in Russia (total sell out)" from the analytical company RNC Pharma, in the first five months of 2026, the e-commerce segment showed stronger ruble growth of +14.9%, while traditional offline retail grew by only 6.2%. The key driver of online sales was the largest marketplaces, primarily Ozon and Wildberries, with the total monetary share of all online platforms reaching 39.3% during the analyzed period. Conversely, the positions of traditional distribution channels are steadily weakening. The pharmacy segment still retains its status as the main sales channel, but its share has declined from 55% in 2022 to 46.5% in the reporting period. A similar decline is seen in specialized optical stores: the share of this channel fell to 14.2% in value terms, losing more than two percentage points compared to last year, when the indicator exceeded 16%.

The migration of consumers to the online segment is driven not only by convenience but also by more attractive pricing policies on online platforms. In January–May 2026, the average price of one package of contact lens solution in the e-commerce segment was about RUB 481. The highest price levels were observed in optical stores, where the price reached RUB 649. At the same time, the lowest price levels were demonstrated by pharmacy organizations (RUB 412).

The significant gap between distribution channels is explained not only by the pricing policies of the platforms but also by fundamental differences in the structure of their assortment matrices. In particular, specialized optics outlets shift their focus to premium products, pushing budget items to the background. For example, the brand Renu from Bausch Health holds first place in traditional pharmacies, is in second place in the online channel, and only fifth place in optical stores, with prices ranging from RUB 476 online to RUB 544 in traditional retail. At the same time, the peroxide system Aosept (Alcon Laboratories) leads in the e-commerce channel, and its price also varies significantly by distribution channel: online consumers pay an average of RUB 931 per package, while in optical stores the price reaches RUB 1,334.

Notably, the price dynamics in optical stores and on marketplaces from January 2025 to May 2026 showed opposite trends. The minimum average price per package in optical stores was recorded in August at RUB 594, while on online platforms, the absolute price peak for the entire period was noted in the same month. In contrast to these channels, the pharmacy segment was characterized by high price stability with no significant fluctuations.

It is also worth noting that overall in the market (all sales channels), the leading position by consumer spending volume is held by the brand Renu from Bausch Health (26.4% ruble share). Second place is retained by Opti-Free from Alcon Laboratories with a 10% share. Third place is occupied by Aquaoptic from the domestic manufacturer Grotex, which accounted for 8.6% of value sales during the reporting period; however, physical demand for the brand declined by 4% over the year, unlike the aforementioned brands, which showed growth in packages of 4% and 10%, respectively.

Fig. Dynamics of the Average Price of a Contact Lens Solution Package Across Different Distribution Channels on the Russian Retail Market from January 2025 to May 2026, RUB/package at retail prices including VAT