SOHO OPTİK
Tecnology and Fashion in One
“I think fairs like Silmo Istanbul are very important for following the developments in the sector and establishing new business contacts.”
Hello Mr. Barkın. First of all, could you introduce yourself a little and share your story of entering the optical industry?
Hello, I was born in Istanbul in 2002. I completed my primary and secondary education at Sev Private American College and high school education at Saint Joseph High School. I am currently studying Mechanical and Construction double major at Özyeğin University and Opticianry at Işık University. As someone who wants to start his own business since a young age, I have examined the sectors. I have determined that contact lenses, laser surgeries, intraocular lens surgeries and especially intraocular surgeries performed with smart lenses have seriously reduced the demand in the optical sector, that we are in the period of the most intensive use of our eyes in the history of humanity, that telescopic lenses, prismatic lenses, blue light blocking lenses used in front of computers have entered and will enter the application area much more with the advancement of technology, and that the need for sunglasses is increasing due to global warming. I entered this sector by combining my Mechanical Engineering and Optician skills, taking into account that I can make very qualified optical applications in this new period.
Could you tell us about the establishment phase of Soho Optik?
I received consultancy services from Özlem Arafal, one of the biggest doyen of this sector, for 1.5 years. Afterwards, we added Özlem Öz, who has tremendous experience in boutique retailing in the sector, to our staff and received consultancy from her for 8 months. After opening our store, we had the chance to add İskender İrdal, one of the other important names, to our team. With the creativity of this trio, which I see as the biggest chance of my life, we overcome the difficulties, adopting love and respect as the most important value, we are walking our way happily together and we aim to progress on much bigger roads together.
What are the most popular optical and sunglasses brands sold in your store?
Our collection consists of fashion brands as well as special brands that combine technology and fashion, which are frequently demanded by our customers, and designer brands that have been very popular in recent years. In this direction, the brands we sell the most in optics and sunglasses are designer brands such as Lunor, Tavat, Kador, Oliver Peoples, Lool and popular brands such as Serengeti, Etnia Barcelona, Prada, Miu Miu.
Do you have products from every segment in your store? How do you think having different product segments reflects on your sales?
We offer options for every taste and every style in different segments in our store. Our products are not just eyewear but fashion statements. Having different product segments allows us to increase our competitiveness in the sector, promise consumers a certain quality guarantee, create a loyal customer base and increase our sales volume. We are also trying to appeal to different customer groups by expanding our brand portfolio day by day. With this perspective, I believe that we are also contributing to the development of the national economy.
Street stores or being located in a shopping mall? What is your preference and what are the reasons?
I think the answer to this question depends on the area where the store is located. The choice should be made according to the shopping habits of the target audience in the region where you plan to open a store. We started by opening our first store on Bağdat Street, one of the most important streets of Istanbul. The stores opened on the street have a customer profile that they have been building for years. Stores opened in shopping centers, on the other hand, offer physical and social differences to the consumer and therefore the customer profile changes. In line with our growth targets, we plan to open branches in shopping malls in locations where our target audience is located.
As a retailer, what are your views on price competition between you and your colleagues?
The pressure of intense price competition in the markets is increasing due to increasingly similar products, increasingly difficult product and service differentiation and decreasing profit rates. This situation has led us to restructure our marketing. We are trying to use various methods and techniques to realize and sustain long-term customer loyalty and, in this context, customer loyalty. The competitive power of companies that know and anticipate the current and future needs of customers and implement management strategies such as product development and diversification to meet these needs very quickly and before anyone else will always be high. Our biggest goal is to increase the number of loyal customers. This is achieved by ensuring that the customer is satisfied with the service provided and leaves your company satisfied.
What do you think about the rate and awareness of eyeglass use in our country? What can be done to increase eyeglass use and who has a role to play?
I think that Turkish people do not have enough knowledge about eye health and eyeglass use and this situation needs to change. I think that the main factors preventing access to glasses are the insufficient number of ophthalmologists, opticians and opticianry establishments and the concentration of eye health services in big city centers. Especially in rural areas, services are difficult to reach. In my opinion, the development of the optical sector is directly linked to population characteristics, fashion, ease of access to glasses and the importance society attaches to eye health. The number of ophthalmologists, opticians and opticianry establishments is lower than in developed countries, but this number is increasing every year. This shows that it will be easier to access glasses in Turkey in the future.
How would you evaluate the 10th Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair with its new and larger service area?
I have been visiting Silmo Istanbul for two years now. I think that such fairs are very important for following the developments in the sector and establishing new business contacts. Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair is an international organization that supports the development of the optical sector and brings together suppliers, dealers and employees in this field. I believe that such events are important for the growth of the sector.
We are glad for this valuable interview. Finally, could we learn your comments about the transition of our magazine 4 your eyes to digital publishing?
4 your eyes’ transition to digital publishing will enable it to reach a much wider audience. It will be much more easily accessible as the phenomenon of time and space will disappear. We wish your team continued success.
January 2024