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Interesting Wal-Mart OD Stats

on July 2nd, 2009 | Filed under Optoblog

The Optometric Business Academy (OBA) came out with some statistics regarding Walmart O.D.’s revenue growth in 2008.

Walmart practices grew 10% during 2008, on average, as Sam’s Club practices grew 6%.

Growth also varied depending on years at location.

I’ll be interested to see what 2009 stats will say. Anecdotally, my business was up 8% in 2008 while so far for 2009 I currently forecast it to be down over 8% (so back to 2007 levels). So when you think about it, 2009 could see me be down 16-18% from where I wanted to be.

Thanks Obama. That was such a great idea to spend our way out of a recession and have the government take over several private sector industries. Idiot.

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4 Comments

4 Responses to “Interesting Wal-Mart OD Stats”

  1. Dynastar says:

    David-

    I’d love to read your blog regularly, there’s so few OD blogs out there. You insistence on inserting low-brow political commentary (“Idiot”) into an otherwise interesting OD blog keeps me from becoming a regular. Couldn’t you start a political blog for your political views? Naturally it’s your blog and your choice, but it’s costing you at least one reader, and I would imagine there are others like me. Keep up the good (OD) writing. 😉

  2. Gerald Koppy says:

    It takes 1 1/2 years for anything the government does to take effect. All things take that much time. No matter who is in governmant. It’s proven that over the last 50 years or so. By then things have already fixed themselves.

  3. hk says:

    Hi David,
    I just recently joined odwire.org and get the nagging feeling that they very much dislike commercial od’s (I am a walmart sublease od in CA). Although a relatively recent grad (2007), I have practiced at od private practices, md private practices, and commerical setting both as an employee od and sublease od of walmart. I personally enjoy this mode of practice and would not trade it for working for other private practice od’s. Although I occasionally dabble in the thought of opening a private practice, I very much enjoy how I practice now. I have the freedom of scheduling pts accordingly, fit whatever contact lens I feel is appropriate, and generally like being my own boss and knowing that I am the creator of my own destiny. I think its unfortunate that some private practice od’s see commercial od’s as “the enemy”. I think those od’s should realize that not everyone wants to be involved in the processes that private office entails (tremendous amounts of business knowledge and savvy). I enjoy providing optometric care and interacting with my patients and giving them their rx’s to use where ever they wish. I don’t miss working at private offices where the owner optometrist is breathing down my neck, auditing my files, and making sure I fit the contact lens with the greatest profit margin. I also don’t miss seeing 13 plus pts a day but getting paid only $325. If I see 13 pts a day at my practice, you can be damn sure that the office is making more than $325! I think private practice optometrist that hire new grads to work their saturdays, pay them meager wages b/c they are new grads but pump them with patients, “recommend” they prescribe plano dist pals without even mentioning otc readers, is doing as much a disservice as they claim that commerical od’s do to the profession of optometry. Well that’s my two cents.