Wholesaler Interview

Adellens Optik

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Adellens Optik

Breaking a New Ground

“Silmo Istanbul is a meeting point for us with friends. Every year it progresses by putting more and more on top with beautiful crowds. Especially in terms of both exhibitors and visitors, there is a serious increase in local and foreign visitors.”

Hello Mr. Cem, first of all, thank you for opening the doors of your factory to us and for your nice welcome. Adel Lens company made a big investment this year and started to work with the “Automatic Production” system. Could you inform us about this state-of-the-art production line and what it brings to the sector?
First of all, we are very happy and proud to be the first company to bring the fully automated production line to Turkey. The automatic line we saw in a few companies during our travels abroad always impressed us a lot and we believed that our country should definitely have this line. We are proud to have achieved this. After this investment, we were happy to receive a lot of support and congratulatory phone calls from our sector. This innovation will definitely have an impact on the future vision of the sector, because the trend in the world is no longer walking towards automation, it is almost running. All products will of course be made in an automated system. Delivery times will definitely be shorter, and the impact on quality will be at the highest level, completely independent of human beings and tied to the standard. The price increase will not be different from the realities of the sector.
How many brands do you have? What distinguishes your products from your competitors?
As Adel Lens, we have three brands. Among these, our Cortex brand is our main brand and a brand we have been using since our establishment. It includes single focus, bifocal and progressive product groups. Since we have to constantly update ourselves and our investment, we added our Oppo brand to our organization with the new software in 2019. Oppo also includes single focus and progressive. In 2020, we expanded our product range with the latest software we received. Our latest addition to our Adel Lens family is our Cyber Eye Progressive product. We strive to continuously improve ourselves and bring innovations that will add value to our production and products.

Do you produce lens in all indexes here?
I can easily say that our product range is extremely wide. We produce all indices 1.5-1.56-1.57-1.61-1.61-1.67-1.74 under three different brands of single focus-bifocal (S2-Eline-Aphak Bifocal) – progressive lenses in our production facilities in Istanbul. Twenty-five to thirty percent of our production is exported. From our own sales office in Bulgaria, which has been in operation for eight years, we have serious work with both the Bulgarian market and the Balkan countries. In addition, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are among the countries where we have dealerships. In addition to all these, I would like to point out that our main production site is in Iran. Our production facility in Iran produces both our own brand and the Indo brand. We are both the largest production facility in Iran and the leader in the sector.
What is your annual production capacity? How much do you aim to increase your capacity with the automated production system?
Our annual production capacity was two hundred and sixty thousand pairs. After we switched to a fully automated production system and started using the fully automated production line, we achieved a significant capacity increase of sixty percent and reached the level of producing four hundred fifteen thousand pairs annually.

Why should an optical store prefer Adel Lens Optik brands?
I can count quality, trust, speed, after-sales service, instant problem solving as the main reasons for optical stores to choose Adel Lens brands. Of course, as one of the most important elements, I can not leave out the existence of our regional managers in the Adel Lens family and our team working devotedly alongside them. Because each member of this team is now a real brand name in their own region. When the features I mentioned at the beginning are combined with this magnificent team, it becomes even easier to be the reason for preference.
As a company that has been exhibiting in Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair for many years, how would you interpret the contributions and development process of the fair? As a manufacturer company, what are your expectations from Silmo Istanbul Fair?
Silmo Istanbul Optical fairs are a meeting point for us with friends. Happily, thanks to the kindness of our optician friends, the fair is very crowded and beautiful every year. Especially with our dinner program on the evening of the third day, which we have made a tradition, we reinforce this beautiful meeting. Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair is progressing by putting more and more on it every year. There is a significant increase in both local and foreign exhibitors and visitors. We will continue to do whatever it takes for the fair of such a beautiful city to become even more international. Because this organization, this city really deserves it.

December 2023

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Sales Point

Galaxy Optik

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Galaxy Optik

Corporate and Qualified

Our momentum in the optical sector in terms of supply and service is improving every year. We were able to observe this change very clearly at this year’s Silmo Istanbul.

Hello Mr. Samet, could you tell us about yourself and your story of meeting the optical industry?
Hello, I had a childhood in trade. With my mother’s background in textile export and my father’s background in hotel management, I chose to pursue a career in retail professionally after my school life. Ninety percent of my retail career was in the establishment and management of luxury consumption and start-up operations. The optical sector started with brand establishment and management in one of the start-up and luxury retail brands for the same reason. Likewise, Galaxy Optik is the latest example.

Could you tell us about the vision and goals of Galaxy Optik?
The most important motto of our Galaxy Optik brand in vision and mission is sustainability and accessibility in the service we provide to our guests in our Galaxy Optik stores. By this, I mean that we will not only grow the demand, but also the supply. To give an example, we will not have the motto of not being able to meet the needs of our customers or making them wait in all services in the field of optics or a new or continuous product, on the contrary, we will be able to meet all demands quickly and sustainably. This stance is born from the fact that we have at least half a century of history and 40 partners behind our Galaxy Optik brand. As luxury consumption and accessibility, we aim to provide accessibility at all points and fast service comfort to our customers in products and services in our stores with our target of 40 stores all over Turkey in both short and medium term.

As Galaxy Optik, what are the most important features that distinguish you from other optical brands when entering the Turkish market?
We will create a local and national chain optics brand in Turkey in the Chain Stores operation due to the fact that we have both experience, supply and sector partners with fast growth potential behind our brand. This will give us the chance to provide fast and quality service for both sunglasses and optical needs in the Turkish market.

Unlike your competitors in the sector, what kind of strategy will you follow for the satisfaction of your potential customers?
In the Turkish conjuncture, customer demands are changing very fast and we are aware of this. We will be able to meet all customer demands completely and at all times by combining experience and trend with both our past experienced partners and our second generation background management that has developed within this experience.

What are the added values that the management pyramid of the Galaxy Optik brand will provide to both the sector and your customers?
We have established a fully professional and corporate infrastructure system from the formation of the corporate identity of the Galaxy Optik brand to the preparation of operational strategies, from personnel selection to personnel training, from the creation of background systems to follow-up, and most importantly, this structure we have created is based on customer satisfaction. This system will enable us to be fully institutionalized as the Galaxy Optik brand and to grow at this level of institutionalization and provide 100% satisfaction service to our customers.

 

Do you have products from every group in your stores?
Yes, we do. We have the motto of accessibility and sustainability in the corporate identity of our brand. Galaxy Optik stores have product bars and ranges that appeal to every age, budget and segment group, and our most important feature will be to always have the products that our customers demand or will demand in our stocks or to supply them quickly and deliver them to all points in Turkey.

What are the most popular optical and sunglasses brands sold in your stores?
I can say that Prada, Tom Ford and Vycoz brands are very popular in sunglasses. In optical glasses, Silhouette, Yves Saint Laurent and Cartier stand out among the brands we sell the most.

How do you choose the optical and sunglasses brands you sell?
First of all, reliability and recognition are the most important factors for us. The service we want to provide to the customer is both an accessory that suits their style and a quality that will prioritize their health. We choose our brands based on these two issues.

Designer brands are very popular in recent years. Do you also receive requests from your customers in this direction?
I can honestly say no. Galaxy Optik is generally followed by cult and fashion followers, but there is no guarantee that this demand will not come tomorrow. As a brand, we closely follow the current designer works.

What are your after sales services?
First of all, we have established the infrastructure of our brand with the corporate system in all steps from the establishment stage of our brand. Without opening our stores, we have established our infrastructure to control the stock, Customer Crm tracking, campaign plans and fictions, creation of customer segmentation data, healthy control of all Kpi data in our stores and then to use them effectively in customer service, and we have trained our friends who will use and manage these systems by including them in the team. Currently, we are able to meet all the demands of all our after-sales customers during their first or subsequent store visits, as we determine all their needs, from Warranty Coverage, product availability to customer habits, with the system we have established.

What role do you think the showcase layout and interior design of an optical store plays in sales? What did you pay attention to while preparing these elements in your new location?
The world conjuncture is now completely based on visuals. Social life, commercial life, etc. The more attention is paid to these visual themes, the more the sense of empathy with the customers is brought to the forefront and the visual sequences that will touch these emotions are prepared, the supply and demand will always provide an upward acceleration at the same equal value.

While we have brought these issues to the forefront, we have designed our brand color options and in-store positioning based on the slogan “Beauty in Simplicity”. We welcome our customers in our stores with elegance in simplicity, far from confusion.

How would you evaluate the 10th Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, which is being held for the 10th time with its new and larger service area?
First of all, I would like to say that the development in our market makes us very happy. Our momentum in the optical sector at the point of supply and service is improving every year. We were able to observe this change very clearly at this year’s Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair. I consider the mutual increase in need and service and most importantly, the fact that we are more integrated into the foreign market every year as very positive, especially for our country’s trade.

Thank you very much for this valuable interview. Finally, could we learn your comments on the transition of our magazine 4 your eyes to digital publishing?
I think it is a very positive step for you to catch the time and trend. Information is spreading very fast in this period, and a contrary flow of information unfortunately gets old at the same speed and degenerates before reaching the necessary places and those concerned. Therefore, I am sure that it will carry your awareness and publishing brand even further. I wish success to your team.

December 2023

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Wholesaler Interview

Hui Huang

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Hui Huang

New and Extraordinary

“By exhibiting in Silmo Istanbul, we increased our chances of following the developments in the sector and gaining a competitive advantage.”

Hello Mr. Mertcan, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you personally crossed paths with the optical sector?
Hello, I was born Mertcan Özel in Istanbul in 1997. Our Özeller Saat optical store, founded by my father İsmail Özel in 1991, was our first intersection with the optical sector. I have been working in stores since I was little, both finishing my schooling and supporting my father in stores. I graduated from Istanbul University Mechanical Engineering in 2019 with a good degree. Our paths crossed with Hui Huang because we are an old and strong company in the optical industry. Hui Huang is a company that has been producing for different brands since 2015, and we started to produce our own brands with us. With this, we started to get a share in the domestic and foreign markets with our own brands. We produce style products that can keep up with different fashion outside the standard.
Although you are a young company, you are successful with your vision. How and when did you decide to establish Hui Huang?
Hui Huang was established in 2017, taking into account the developments in domestic production and the need for plastic frames in the optical industry. It has set itself the goal of being the face of Turkey opening to the world by realizing many firsts in the sector. The reason why we are different from the market is that we can also make different styles of model molds that will appeal to customers in our own mold shop. This is our most distinctive feature that distinguishes us from our competitors. If we decide to make a model, we have the ability to turn it into a product within 10 days. At this speed and with this quality, we do not know any competitors in Turkey. Since the competitor companies have their molds made in China, the best deadline to receive the sample, receive the mold and start production can be 3-4 months. Our aim is to maximize localization in the optical sector and to make products of top group brand quality.
Could you tell us about your production activities in your factory in Istanbul and the functioning of your facility?
We produce plastic optical frames and sunglasses for our own brands and our customers’ brands from TR-90 raw materials. We have varnished and unvarnished production methods. We produce standard TR-90 products without varnish. We also produce varnished products by using different painting techniques in upper group products. Apart from our own brands, we also have the ability to prepare collections for the brands of our domestic and foreign customers. We produce for many brands in Turkey and abroad with their own models and colors.

Let’s talk a little bit about your brands. Could you share with us the main features of your brands, their interaction groups and their position in the sector?
We currently offer services with our three brands. With Pourchet, one of our brands, we offer affordable, quality price performance product frames from standard TR-90. With our Imabari Kinsei brand, we offer products in the middle segment for men and women. Finally, we continue to serve with Louis Barton, our brand for men only.
What is your priority when determining the collections of your brands? What inspires you while designing your products?
Our point of inspiration is “extraordinary”. Acting with this motto, our company has the most different and creative collection in Turkey. With our self-colored injection glasses, which are the world’s first and only self-colored injection glasses, we plan to be the change-maker face of Turkey on international platforms. Understanding the needs and expectations of our customers becomes a priority in the design process. We strive to design comfortable and functional eyewear that suits the style of our customers. We follow the trends in the fashion world and try to offer our customers eyewear in line with the latest trends. The choice of material is an important factor in eyewear design. The quality of the materials can have an impact on the durability and comfort of the eyewear. Therefore, we are meticulous in the choice of materials. Colors can reflect the style and personality of the glasses. Therefore, we are careful in the choice of colors. Our sources of inspiration include the world of fashion, nature, art and architecture. Inspired by these sources, we strive to design unique and creative eyewear.

What is your strategy for expanding your distribution and sales network?
In addition to our existing market, we are planning to expand into new markets, so that we can reach more customers with our products. We conduct market research to discover new markets. We work with distributors to distribute our products in different regions. We use online sales channels to reach a wider audience with our products. These channels include e-commerce sites, social media platforms and online marketplaces. Finally, we use advertising to increase the visibility of our business.
As a company investing in the sector, what are your thoughts and expectations about the development of the sector?
The eyewear industry has shown rapid growth in recent years. According to a study by Grand View Research, the global eyewear market was valued at $169.9 billion in 2022 and is forecast to continue growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% between 2023 and 2030. Factors behind this growth include changes in lifestyle, growing interest in luxury accessories, and eyewear manufacturers’ focus on developing attractive and affordable eyewear. Therefore, as an eyewear manufacturing company, we see a very bright future for the industry. In this context, we plan to increase our share in the sector by opening our company to new markets both through fairs and customer visits.
Do you follow international fairs and what are your thoughts on this subject?
Yes, we follow them very closely and we attach great importance to them. International fairs are important platforms for companies to promote their products and services on a global scale, find new customers, follow developments in the sector and establish business contacts. These fairs bring together industry professionals, offer cooperation opportunities and provide participants with up-to-date information on market trends. In addition, international fairs can help companies increase their competitive advantage and establish a presence in the global market.

As an exhibitor, how would you evaluate Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, which will be held for the 10th time with its new and larger service area?
Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair is a very important platform for companies in the optical sector. When we participated for the first time, we had the opportunity to network with other companies in the sector, find new customers and introduce our products to a wide audience. By participating in Silmo Istanbul, we increased our chances of following the developments in the sector and gaining a competitive advantage.
Thank you very much for this valuable interview. Finally, could you tell us about the evolution of our magazine 4 your eyes to digital publishing?
We consider your magazine’s transition to digital publishing as a positive step in terms of reaching a wider readership and presenting content interactively. Digital platforms allow for a closer connection with readers by providing fast access, sharing and interaction opportunities. It is also important to offer a remarkable and user-friendly experience in digital compared to traditional print publishing. In this sense, we think that the digital evolution of 4 your eyes magazine will have very good results.

November 2023

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Sales Point

Emgen Optik

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

EMGEN OPTİK

Rooted Legacy

“In addition to being informed about developments of abroad with Silmo Istanbul, it is a source of benefit and happiness to exchange ideas with colleagues you meet from different provinces.”

Hello Mr. Burak, could you tell us about yourself and your story of meeting the optical industry?
I was born in 1979 in Istanbul. I am one of the fourth generations in my family born in Istanbul. In 2002, I graduated from Istanbul Bilgi University business faculty. In 2005, I completed the international business master’s program at Bournemouth University. After working in different sectors until 2018, I entered our family business. When I realized that we are a well-established brand as Emgen Optik, I realized that I should continue this legacy in the most ideal way. I am currently actively continuing my business life as the chairman of the board of directors of our company. Putting making money on the back burner, I re-entered university after the age of 44. I am currently a student in the department of opticianry. My biggest goal is to develop this brand like my grandfather and father and to hand over a strong company that can manage itself to those who will take over the flag after me.
Emgen Optik has a rooted history. Could you tell us about how and when your store was founded?
Emgen Optik was born when my great grandfather, Pharmacist Salih Necati Emgen, opened his first pharmacy in Üsküdar Square in 1901. The company started to focus on the eyeglass business after 1925. After Salih Necati Emgen’s death in 1948, his son (my grandfather) Rahmi Emgen opened the store in Beyoğlu Istiklal Street, which operated until 2003, focusing only on opticianry. Rahmi Emgen, who was a founding member and president of the “All Opticians Association”, now known as the “Turkish Optical and Optometric Professions Association”, which was established in 1951, also realized the first optical lens production. In the early 1980s, my father Necati Çetin Emgen, who studied business administration in Austria and also has an optician’s diploma, took over the flag from my grandfather and continued the activities of Emgen Optik at the same address for 42 years.
You recently moved your store from Istiklal Street in Beyoğlu, one of the historical districts of Istanbul, to a location in Beyoğlu. What are the reasons for not giving up on Beyoğlu?
As you know, the main street buildings where the stores are located on Istiklal Street, although they are very valuable due to their status as historical monuments, are buildings with high renovation costs that you need to take care of seriously in terms of earthquake risk. On this occasion, we started to look for a newer and larger store that would not leave the borders of Beyoğlu towards the end of 2022. Our criteria included a new building concept and a comfortable space where our customers could spend more comfortable and longer time. We are very happy and peaceful that we were able to achieve these criteria in our new store. As much as we can, we will continue our commercial activities in Beyoğlu, which we see as the place where we were born and where we stayed the longest.

Do you have products from every group in your store?
Of course, we display and sell the product groups that should be in every optical store. From optical & sun frames, optical lens, contact lenses, solutions and many other eyewear accessories, we work with many brands, both foreign and domestic. Currently, we cooperate with a total of 21 distributors from different categories. As we stated in the promotional advertisements of our new shop, we have been an eyeglass shop since the day we were founded. We do not sell any other products (such as watches) or provide technical support other than eyeglasses and its other product groups.
What are the most popular brands of optical and sunglasses sold in your store?
We usually work with big international distributors. In sunglasses, we mainly sell Versace, Dolce Gabbana, Prada, Bulgari, Emperio Armani, Rayban, Persol and Vogue from Luxottica group. Carrera, David Beckham, Missoni, Jimmy Choo, Mark Jacob, Polaroid are the most demanded products from Safilo group. At the beginning of this year, we started selling Gucci, Saint Lauren, Montblanc, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga brands with Elit Optik. On the optical glasses side, Montblanc, Eschenbach (titanflex), Rayban, Dolce Gabbana, Silhoutte, Carrera, Vogue are the product ranges that stand out in the preference ranking.

How do you choose the brands of optics and sunglasses you sell?
We prioritize the demands of our existing customers and the availability of new iconic models. While we prefer classic models for our middle-aged customers, for our young and potential customers we prefer models with more vibrant colors and more iconic designs. Therefore, our brand choices are also formed in this direction. The main reason for our choices is brand awareness and production quality.
Designer brands are very popular in recent years. Do you also receive requests from your customers in this direction?
Although the popularity of designer brands has increased in recent years, we approach this issue with some caution. Because the shape and color of a pair of glasses are as important as their fit and their compatibility with the anatomical structures of the nose and behind the ears of the customers. We do not approve of a designer brand that has become popular with its abundant sharing strategies on social media but has a single-axis production. In addition to this, brands that rise rapidly on social media channels and lose their demand within 1-2 years are in the second plan for us.
What are your after sales services?
We continue to support our customers after sales. Especially during the sale, we advise our customers to come to us at certain intervals to eliminate deformations in the eyeglass frames that may occur in the future due to personal use. In addition to our spare parts support, we also offer services for the repair and maintenance of defective eyeglass frames, even if they did not buy them from us.
What role do you think the window layout and interior design of an optical store plays in sales? What did you pay attention to while preparing these elements in your new location?
In my opinion, the interior design and showcase of a store reflects the spirit of that company and its perspective on the customer. Therefore, the customer profile also forms and develops in this direction. As a company, we preferred to emphasize the differences to protect our brand integrity rather than adaptation to our location. As I mentioned before, we prioritize being sales-oriented due to our brand reputation. When we were discussing the new store design with our architect, I wanted only one thing: I wanted to see a concept of London Harrods in this store. Our architect also developed a different strategy based on the fact that we are an old company. As a result of this, I think we have brought a different interpretation to the classical optician concept consisting of white shelves with uniform, yellow led lights. Since we moved to our store, we have been receiving very, very positive comments and feedback from our local and especially foreign customers.
How would you evaluate Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, which will be held for the 10th time with its new and larger service area, from the beginning to today?
Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair is really a very important organization. Unfortunately, our sector has a structure with different groupings that are not well organized today. At this point, Silmo Istanbul is an important platform that brings together all opticians in Turkey through suppliers. In addition to being informed about developments of abroad, it is a source of benefit and happiness to exchange ideas with colleagues from different provinces that you meet during booth visits.
Thank you very much for this valuable interview. Finally, could you tell us your comments on the transition of our magazine 4 youreyes to digital publishing?
It is an important project that needs to happen today, that needs to be analyzed very precisely and its continuity needs to be ensured. I believe that digital publication will be very useful for 4 your eyes magazine to reach more audiences and renew itself. In this way, I think that the opticianry profession and the eyewear sector will have a structure that can be measured and planned data collection with technical market research.

November 2023

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Interview

Philipp Plein

Posted on by Emre Özden

Redefines Luxury

Philipp Plein offers luxury eyewear that resembles jewelry with its design, details and high quality as a result of its collaboration with De Rigo.

Founded by German fashion designer Philipp Plein, the luxury brand continues to gain worldwide acclaim for its distinctive, high quality and unique products. With its collaboration with De Rigo, Philipp Plein has proven that it is also assertive in eyewear fashion with its rapid global rise. We interview Philipp Plein, the brand’s Founder and Creative Director, about his successful De Rigo partnership, the inspirations behind his designs, the features of eyewear collections and the future goals of the brand.

You founded your brand when you were only 20 years old. What motivated you the most for this bold initiative? Could we say that you realized all of your dreams at that time when you look back from today?
Well, we have just started actually. We are expanding the brand and we started with eyewear business two years ago together with De Rigo. This partnership has been a big global success. We are very excited about this partnership with De Rigo, because it gave us the opportunity to bring our brand into a new market of optical frames and sunglasses, where we were not presented before. So as you can imagine, we have just started to expand in many new markets with new product categories. For instance, we now have also watch business, which is new to us, hotel business and now the next step will be also opening the restaurant, which we are starting from next year in Milano, and yes many more dreams are yet to come.

What does the fashion industry mean to you as a designer who has achieved great success?
Fashion is something, which never stops. Fashion is always moving very fast and changing. Fashion lives some changes. We are here to adapt ourselves. Our society is changing, our clients are changing, and the fashion is changing too. So, its something, which is very fluent and very fast.

You create collections for many product groups. Are your sources of inspiration constantly changing? What encourages you the most to design?
I always find inspiration from everywhere. You just have to be ready to led the inspiration come to you. A lot of people think that they have to travel to foreign places, but that’s not true. You get the inspiration whenever you are ready to be inspired and you can get inspired by anything. It can be a beautiful dinner or a meal, it can be just walking on the street. You can find inspiration all over the place. Inspiration is all around us.

Compared to your other products, does eyewear design require different qualities?
Yes, if you want to have a success in this business, first of all you have to learn how to translate your brand into a pair of eyewear. Eyewear design does not give you so much space. If you design a dress or a t- shirt, you have a lot of space to explore and to put your prints or designs on it. But with eyewear we have a speacial product here. It is very defined and you have to be very precise. Then of course design has to follow function and this is very important. We have to design a product, which is wearable. Because you can may be wear crazy dress, but if you put something straight in your face you have to have the comfort, the functionality and never forget it is on your face. People are very particular when it comes to their face. So designing eyewear is a really challenge, but I think we did something very well. Because we have a product, which is definitely different than the most of the other products in the market, so it stands out.

What are the main features that distinguish a pair of Philipp Plein eyewear from others?
You can just look at the details. The logo is on everywhere in small spaces. There is small logos inside the temple. Its all in the details and a pair of Philipp Plein eyewear is like a piece of jewelery. It is not even anymore just a a pair of shades, it is a piece of jewelery. When you look at the everything of a pair of Philipp Plein eyewear, you can find these features. It is really something special and of course the quality is outstanding. Because we are working with best of the best, with our partner De Rigo. We have the the best suppliers and manufacturers in the world.

You entered the eyewear industry with your collaboration with De Rigo. Could you tell us about the reasons of this choise?
De Rigo is one of the four big players in the market. De Rigo is a family company, which is very traditional and successful in what they do since many years and it is all about their approach and also the fact that they have the quality and understanding of quality which is very necessary to design outstanding eyewear. Because you can find beautiful product, but then the quality is not the same. This is why we decided to go company, which has all these features, and De Rigo definitely fullfills this. We can may be deliver the design but then you have to have right people to execute it. This is what we have with De Rigo. It is hard to find something at the moment, which is better and higher in terms of quality and design than the a pair of Philipp Plein eyewear. De Rigo also understood the vision, and applied the best the price positioning.

Yakın zamanda De Rigo ile Plein Sport markanıza ait gözlükler için de küresel bir lisans anlaşması imzaladınız. Plein Sport koleksiyonunu ne zaman piyasada görebileceğiz? Nasıl bir koleksiyon olacak?
Plein Sport çok ilginç bir proje, çünkü Philipp Plein Eyewear’dan tamamen farklı. Çok daha ticari bir yaklaşıma sahip ve çok daha geniş bir dağıtıma odaklanacak. Tasarım açısından daha demokratik. Spor bir marka ve konumlandırma açısından Oakley’e daha yakın olabilir. Koleksiyon bu yılın sonunda, gelecek yılın başında piyasaya çıkacak. Yani 2024’ün ilk çeyreğinde Plein Sport gözlük koleksiyonunu piyasaya süreceğiz ve bu bizim için çok heyecan verici. Çünkü Plein Sport markalaşma, logolar gibi özellikler açısından tamamen farklı bir proje, markanın Dna’sı kesinlikle farklı. Teknik olarak hafif çerçevelerimiz, spor çerçevelerimiz, koşmak için çerçevelerimiz, bisiklete binmek için çerçevelerimiz ve tabii ki günlük kullanım için çerçevelerimiz var. Ancak hepsine baktığımızda, işlevin en üstte olduğunu söylemeliyim.

Kasım 2023

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Interview

MARKUS T

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Celebrating 25th Year

Markus T, one of Germany’s leading eyewear brands, celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary with a striking advertising campaign called 100 Seasons.

German eyewear brand Markus T is driven by an extraordinary passion for eyewear and design with technical excellence. Known as the ‘Master of Titanium’, the independent brand is constantly challenging the status quo with new technologies developed in-house. The innovative brand owes its more than forty design awards to this constant quest for progress and modernization. Markus Temming, the brand’s Founder and Creative Director, launched his first collection of titanium frames in 1999. In addition to titanium, the designer uses his proprietary material TMi, a special polyamide. After several years of research and development, TMi has become one of the lightest yet strongest polyamides among the plastic materials used in eyewear production. At 3.7 grams, Markus T frames with the combination of titanium and TMi material are absolutely lightweight. Markus Temming continues to have full control over the creative vision and product development of his brand. In addition to developing forward-looking technologies such as dyeing processes or patented and screwless connectors, sustainable production and the smallest possible ecological footprint are his and his team’s most fundamental mission. Here is an interview with Markus Temming, Founder of Markus T, who this year celebrated his brand’s twenty-fifth anniversary with the visually and design stunning campaign 100 Seasons.

Hi Markus. First of all, I would like to congratulate you for your 100 Seasons campaign, which attracted a great deal of attention. What is the reason for celebrating our twenty-fifth anniversary with this campaign?
In all industries, the twenty-fifth anniversary may represent a silver jubilee, but just calling it a silver jubilee didn’t really align with our values at Markus T. For this reason, we presented our 100 Seasons campaign, which refers to a hundred seasons, inspired by the spring, summer, fall and winter seasons that we have spent twenty-five times in twenty-five years.

What is the main message of your campaign and how do you convey this message in your campaign?
With our campaign 100 Seasons, it was our greatest wish to celebrate our birthday not just on a single day, but throughout the whole year 2023. In this twenty-five-year journey, we wanted to convey the message of how valuable our employees are to us. For this reason, we shot the 100 Seasons campaign in our own factory using our employees who have been with us for many years as models. We selected the most original ones among eight hundred almost unretouched photographs. Our campaign images will continue to be featured as black and white portraits on our website, social media, trade fair stands and PoS materials throughout the year.

Let’s take a quick look at the twenty-five-year history of your company. What do you think are your biggest milestones?
I would say that we have indeed reached many major milestones over the years. First of all, arguably one of the most important events in Markus T’s history was the ‘birth’ in 1998 with the development of Design Classic, a collection that is still in our portfolio today. Our collections, customer base, patents, design awards and headcount have grown steadily to the point where we need more space. This coincides with our move to the glass factory in Gütersloh-Isselhorst, which made 2016 another important milestone. It was a very bumpy and emotional project, often pushing the boundaries of what was feasible. Looking back, it was a very exciting time and the result is something we are very proud of.

Which materials and technologies do you think best represent Markus T?
At Markus T we rely heavily on the highest quality titanium and our proprietary lightweight plastic TMi. We have proven our expertise in both materials, from raw materials to the forming process and coloring. We perfect every step in the production process until it works exactly as we want it to. This is how we developed the patented titanium coloring process MSC in 2014, for example – a highly complex process that is still surprising us and our customers years later. MSC is the process of coating the metal with a protective oxide layer.

You create a remarkable impact in the sector with your designs. And how do you achieve this?
Yes, this is true. We want people to be able to recognize our glasses as soon as they see them, even if there is no label on the frame showing the brand. By focusing on this basic goal, we take care to use the design language that we have created uniquely for ourselves. Obviously, our frames show themselves to the users in a very ideal way. Happily, we often hear from people around us and at trade fairs that Markus T users recognize each other. I would also say that one of the reasons we stand out is that we are actively working to bring the technology to the forefront rather than hiding it.

With your new 100 Seasons campaign, we also see that you have moved away from the classic Markus T style. What are the things that have changed at Markus T?
In our twenty-fifth year, we consciously want to experiment with designs outside of what is typical for Markus T. Take for example our anniversary collection, which we raffled off at trade fairs as part of a social media campaign. As I mentioned before, we were inspired by the four seasons for our anniversary slogan. You can see the new titanium frames in the collection, carefully laser-cut. In the collection, for example, we added floral details for the spring frame. We will continue such creative experimentation throughout the year and will also include spontaneous ideas that we did not plan in advance.

So you are not fundamentally renewing your brand identity?
No, our innovative approach to these creative experiments that we have done and will do does not mean that we are turning our backs on who we are. Markus T is always open to new ideas. And this year we have chosen to be bolder and more experimental, deliberately avoiding the ‘ifs and buts’. With twenty-five years of experience, we believe it is natural to focus on innovation without changing our brand identity. ‘Achieving excellence by reducing excess’ still represents the first of our guiding principles. As Markus T, we are aware that a brand should act in accordance with its Dna even when changing direction. The genes of our Dna consist of three basic characteristics: Simple. Beautiful. Intelligent.

Could you tell us about the current state of Markus T and where it is heading?
First of all, we would like to re-emphasize that we are always changing and this is part of our Dna. This change does not mean that we blindly follow every trend. On the contrary, it means that we respond to the needs of opticians. This kind of flexibility is only possible because we manufacture our own products here in Gütersloh-Isselhorst in Germany. As a result, we have direct control over the quality of our products.

What are your favorite models from your highly acclaimed Dot Mono collection and what are their features?
What makes our popular Dot Mono collection really special is the unique hinge technology. I would like to mention three of our standout models from the collection. Although they are part of the Dot Mono collection, they also stand on their own in a way. I think the two-dimensional design of the fronts looks very cool in their simple profile. So cool that I use them myself. The shade of the rose gold 24-carat PVD coating really highlights the design and gives the frames a kind of special and elegant golden shimmer. This golden shimmer impression is inspired by the warm days we are already starting to miss. The subtle rose gold color of the satin titanium surface gives the normally technical Dot bezel a softer character and evokes summer.

What other surprises await us this year?
As a matter of fact, you may ask what you will surprise yourself with this year. Because, as I mentioned, this year is not based on our rigid planning and we will be guided by our very special and innovative ideas. We act in a spontaneous, creative and flexible way. Aware of what our strengths are, we move forward confidently and comfortably with new designs. That’s why we are as excited as you are.

 

Source: Favrspecs

October 2023

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Wholesaler Interview

Ademur Optik

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Ademur Optik

Promises Quality and Comfort

“We are excited to be exhibiting our brands for the first time this year at Silmo Istanbul.”

Hello Mr. İlker… Could you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about how you decided to enter the optical sector?
Since the optical sector is a profession that constantly improves itself, focuses on human health and directly affects the quality of life, I have been working in this sector since 1999 with the motivation of what I can put on it with the same excitement every day. After working for many years in the wholesale and retail departments of the important companies of the sector, I have been trying to be useful with all my equipment to realize our development goals for the sector under the roof of Ademur Optik since 2020.

With what goals and objectives did you decide to establish your company?
Ademur Optik is a company established in 2012 with 100% domestic capital, aiming to operate in every field of the optical sector, growing with fast and confident steps. We have two special brands, Original Vintage Sunglasses and Nano Vista, which we distribute together with our own brand Roysse. They are delivered to the consumers through exclusive optical stores in our country.

Could you tell us about your brands, technical specifications and customer profile?
As Ademur Optik, we are bringing our products together with our suppliers as the distributor of Nano Vista and Orginal Vintage Sunglases brands in Turkey at Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, where we will be exhibiting for the first time this year. Nano Vista is an eco-friendly brand that aims for glasses to adapt to children instead of children adapting to glasses, allowing children to live comfortably with their glasses without setting rules and without fear of breaking them. We care a lot about sustainability, so we bring together the world’s most durable baby/child/teen (0/14 years) collection with our suppliers. All products are made of Siliflex material. Therefore, they are super flexible and very resistant to breakage. The Nano Glow series has glow-in-the-dark arms, making it easy for your child to find their glasses when they wake up at night and increases safety by making your child more noticeable in low light conditions at night. Nano Clip On series can be used with two different band options. This allows children to carry out all their daily activities with a single pair of glasses. Clip on sunglasses have UV 400 protected Polarized lens + Blue Block lens with full protection. Original Vintage Sunglasses is the original Italian brand that adapts the iconic designs of the past to the present, with extraordinary models, unique handmade craftsmanship and premium materials. For all models, orders can be created by selecting lens and frame combinations. Products can be completely personalized with rich accessory options. The collections include designs that bring together the past and the present.

What are your sales and after sales services?
We offer uninterrupted service for all the brands we distribute through our online wholesale website b2b.ademuroptik.com, where our dealers can be reached 24/7 from anywhere in Turkey, create fast orders in the comfort of the store, supply spare parts, check their current accounts and make payments safely whenever they want. In addition, we attach importance to providing fast feedback by identifying deficiencies and needs on the spot by establishing one-to-one communication with our dealers through our placers who visit the optical stores in Turkey region by region.

What are your comments on the present and future of the Turkish optical sector?
The optical sector in Turkey offers great opportunities and a bright perspective for the future. New technological developments, innovations and online sales platforms are accelerating the growth of the sector and increasing its capacity to provide better service to customers. In the future, the optical industry is expected to pay more attention to innovations focused on sustainability, personalization and health.

 

What can you say about 2023-2024 trends in optics and sunglasses?
Digital blue light protection technologies are the most prominent trends in the optical and sunglasses industry for 2023-2024. At the same time, sustainability and the use of recyclable materials are on the rise.  Especially in summer, frames in vibrant and fun colors are preferred. Geometric designs and sharp lines are also trending.

You are among the exhibitors of Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, which will be held on November 23-26, 2023. What are your expectations from fairs? How would you evaluate the ten-year process of Silmo Istanbul?
We are very excited to be exhibiting in Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair for the first time this year. Such international fairs are excellent opportunities to follow developments in the industry, make new business contacts and showcase our products. Ten years of Silmo Istanbul is a great success in supporting developments in the optical industry and bringing together stakeholders in this field. Such events are important for contributing to the growth of the industry and providing innovative solutions.

What are your views on our magazine 4 your eyes, which has started to publish digitally?
Digitalization is of great importance in the optical industry as it is in every sector today.  This innovation of 4 your eyes will make a significant contribution to the digitalization process of the sector. This is an important opportunity for the optical sector to reach more people and raise awareness in the sector.

October 2023

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Sales Point

Bebek Optik

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Bebek Optik
Luxury and Quality in One

“Thanks to Silmo Istanbul, in addition to discovering new brands and products, I enjoy meeting my colleagues and discussing the future of the industry with them.”

Hello Mrs. Burcu, first of all, could you introduce yourself a little bit and tell us about how your path crossed with the optical sector?
I was born in 1978 and I am a mother of 3 children. I started my business life by designing jewelry. My husband has been doing this profession for 35 years. At first, I found it very enjoyable to visit my husband and choose sunglasses suitable for the wearer’s face… Afterwards, my visits turned into a 9am-7pm shift. I worked with my husband for about 10 years. Later, I realized more clearly that this profession is not about making sales, but that the eye is the most important limb of human life and I wanted to learn every fine detail. At the age of 40, I studied at university. I received my optician diploma. I combined all the knowledge I learned at school with my profession in order to do my profession correctly and healthily. Reading the correct prescription, noticing the prescriptions that are rarely written incorrectly, and at the same time ensuring that the users who come to my store with eye defects can be guided correctly is the most sensitive point of my profession.

How did you decide to open your store? Could you tell us about your establishment phase?
Our store is in its 4th year. We took over a previously existing store. I work as both the responsible manager and the business manager of this store. My bosses are Yağmur and Sabri Sarıoğlu family. We established this store together and we continue to renew it every year.

Do you have products from every group in your store?
Of course, there are lower segment products in our store, but there are also upper group and design boutique brands, and every year the requests of my customers, current trend models and noname design products are added to our store. The fact that we have a wide variety of products due to our location meets the demands of our customers at a higher rate, which is of course reflected in the increase in sales rates.

What are the most sold optical and sunglasses brands in your store?
Sales of every trendy brand and model are continuous. In general, since I am also in the Bebek neighborhood, the upper group sales are high. Gucci, YSL, Mykita, Serengeti, Bottega Veneta are the top brands in optics and sunglasses, followed by Rayban, Prada, Miu Miu.

How do you choose the optical and sunglasses brands you sell?
My store is located in Bebek, one of the most prestigious and most visited areas of Istanbul, which has a changing profile of people. For this reason, I prefer current products that follow the trend for my Bebek customers who are permanent residents and for my customers who will come from outside. Also, the people here really like the products that have a design and a different line that no one else has. That is why we also choose limited edition products. We can appeal to every customer who comes to our store. I believe that we have succeeded in changing the perception of “Bebek neighborhood is luxurious, prices are very high” in people’s minds with proportional prices in the product scale.

Designer brands are very popular in recent years. Do you also receive requests from your customers in this direction?
In our store, we give more space to design products as well as current new season trend products. Seeing that people feel comfortable and different when they look in the mirror when they wear a design product and the happiness on their face, knowing that not everyone will see the product they buy, directs us to boutique brands and design products.

What are your after sales services?
Depending on the customer’s request, our glasses are sold in our store in the best and healthy way with the right products guaranteed. After-sales repair, adjustment and maintenance products are free of charge. We also provide free adjustment repair service even if the customer has bought a product from another optic. We offer the right to cancel the return up to 15 days if the product he bought does not fit him.

How do you inform your customers about changes and campaigns in your store?
We have an active Instagram account. Also, our store does not make its discounts according to the season. We sell the product on the label at the beginning of the summer season and do not discount it at the end of the season. We think this is unfair to our customers. Think of it like this, you buy an X brand at the label price, you come back 3 months later and the product you bought is on sale for half the price. This situation creates sadness and regret in the customer. That’s why we always apply the maximum discount we can make at the end of the season. This makes us preferred in our region. Also, our website will be launched after the new year. Additional discounts special for the first user, sales close to the cost of the products left over from a few seasons ago will enable us to reach people more easily.

What role do you think the window layout and interior design of an optical store play in sales? What did you consider when preparing these elements?
The showcase of a store gives the whole impression about that store. You first look at the showcase and if you like it, you go inside. This is the same in every sector. If you don’t like the showcase, if you don’t find it of good quality, you won’t be curious about the inside of a store. I display products in the showcase that are clean, easy to choose, will arouse curiosity and make the customer go inside. We have a bright store where each brand has its own place in the interior design. The customer should be able to easily choose the brand and model they want. It is important for the customer to be able to easily see what they are trying on in the mirrors at the point of movement in terms of comfort and saving time. In addition, since the continuation of the brands are exhibited in the drawers under the brands of the stands, it is easy and comfortable to choose in that order.

As someone who serves in the sector, what do you think about the rate and awareness of eyeglass use in our country? What can be done to increase the use of eyeglasses and who has a duty?
I have been serving in this sector for twenty years and I see that people still use glasses unconsciously, although not as much as before. Someone who cannot read near can say that they can read with my mother’s father’s glasses without any examination. Or someone who is bored with glasses wants to wear contact lenses by heart, and contact lenses are never sold in our store without a prescription. As an optician, I convey the necessary information to my customers about the disadvantages of this. There are also sunglasses bought from clothing stores or the market because they are cheap. Of course, I often share the damage they cause to the eye on our Instagram account. One thing I have noticed is that the misuse of glasses in the old times has decreased nowadays. I think the advancement of technology and social media providing accurate information has reduced this rate a lot.

Now, the awareness of getting comfortable vision and using a healthy product with the right product at the right time is widespread, not just because it is fashionable or to look more beautiful. Social media is the right address to emphasize the accuracy and importance of this in terms of health.

Do you follow international optical fairs and sectoral developments abroad?
It is very important to have information for the upcoming season at fairs abroad. We follow them closely. At least we can follow the trends about what we will sell in the season. In addition, the sector is developing very fast. We can learn about new lenses, coatings, new trend brands and developments in contact lenses at fairs.

What are your opinions and evaluations about Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair?
I have been following Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair with excitement for years. In addition to the new season products, I enjoy meeting with my colleagues in such an area, chatting, discussing the development of our profession and doing this hosted by Silmo Istanbul.

Could we learn your opinions about 4 your eyes, which started to be published in digitally?
Your magazine 4 your eyes is the first source of information that I have been reading and reviewing with pleasure in our store for years and sometimes the first source of information that I learn about a missing information. Now that it is on social media and digital media, it allows me to access it more easily. Thanks to you, I can follow the sectoral innovations and reach the information of my new colleagues and their stores.

October 2023

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Interview

Face á Face

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Power of Expression

Face á Face, the French designer brand known for its passionately crafted series, is inspired by the Memphis style, which breaks all codes and values the power of expression more than functionality.

Independent eyewear brands always inspire with their special stories. Because usually the companies are a bit smaller and the founders are still actively on the board. This is also the case with the French brand Face á Face. In the 90s, founders Pascal Jaulent and Nadine Roth wanted to create a modern and creative company that didn’t have to follow a predefined mold. This particular positioning, which is immediately apparent when looking at the product range, is no coincidence. Indeed, designer Pascal Jaulent, the creative brain behind the French designer brand, has his own sense of life. The resulting special perspectives on life have a strong influence on the brand. Pascal Jaulent has always had a keen interest in social issues or ethnology and actually wanted to become an urban planner. This is how he creates his designs, combining architecture and art themes. Face á Face describes itself as a chic, French and colorful high-end brand. It is no coincidence that Face á Face’s frames are developed in its own design studio. The designs resemble small, thin architectural pieces that constantly reinterpret volumes, shapes, materials and textures. Once the design language that defines Face á Face is understood, the French company’s eyewear becomes easily recognizable. After all, isn’t it the unique design language that truly defines a great designer brand, rather than fancy oversized logos? Face á Face, a premium French designer brand long known for its passionately and meticulously designed collections, has taken this attitude and turned it into a concrete motto in its new collections. The combination and interconnectedness of colors and sculptural shapes is done in Memphis style. The Parisian designers are inspired by the radical art movement of the 80s, which turned the minimalism of the time on its head. Here is an interview with Marianne Dèzes from the Face á Face Design Lab about how the Memphis style has influenced the brand’s models.

Hi Marianne, where does your love for the Memphis style come from?
The father of my Italian boyfriend, in the old days, lived in an Italian villa full of Memphis masterpieces – a crazy house! When we saw the “Memphis” exhibition in Beaubourg Museum in Paris, we rediscovered the Memphis roots and its fascinating “beautiful-ugly” atmosphere.

What are the main distinguishing features of this art movement?
Memphis is a maximalist stance against the design approach of the time, which was obsessed with minimalism and modern aesthetics. The color palette of the Pop Art movement, the geometric figures of Art Deco and the unusual aesthetics of the 1950s kitsch phenomenon inspired this movement. We can say that Memphis creates a pattern shock in reaction to the rational-minimalist dictatorship of those times. It is nonconformist, breaks all codes and values the power of expression much more than functionality.

The Memphis style is the counter-design to “form follows function” or “less is more”. Weren’t you always very close to this style with your design orientation anyway?
You could say so, but like all designers, we used to have some “rules of good taste,” such as not mixing strong patterns. However Memphis shock pushed us to try new ways to break our own rules.

The founder of the Memphis movement, Ettore Sottsass, once said “design begins where rational processes end, and those of magic start.” Does this attitude also apply to your eyewear design?
We are very much looking for this emotion as a way to validate our designs. When you like something at first sight, and you cannot explain why, you can be sure you are dealing with a strong aesthetic emotion, and that is a very exciting moment.

Which color worlds do we find in the new collections?
We enjoyed working on new purple and green combinations, black and white patterns with vivid colors, a mix of 80s and 70s colors, and daring big contrasts. We hope that you will like them.

Is there a focus on specific materials in the new collections?
Not really. It is more the art of recombining things, exploring new contrasts, but also new shades, such as duck green with smoked transparencies, deep violet shading, and burnt oranges. So maybe a spreading of 70s color in the air.

With your new collections, you appeal to the irrational and the unconventional. Which designs are special to you?
The Calder model has a titanium voluminous spiral that goes around the eyes. This concept gives a great sense of freedom and the frame seems to have been made in a single movement. But the great technical development behind it goes unnoticed. That’s why Calder is special to me. Also Gioco, which means “Play” in Italian, is one of my favorites because it evokes the playful spirit of Memphis’ basic shapes and colors. The Novva sunglasses are sophisticated and bold with sculptures, contrasts and rich transparencies.

How would you summarize the influence of Memphis on your designs?
Memphis’ theme of “elementary plays” definitely inspired us. We were looking for something between “naive childhood” and ” connoisseur knowledge” and we found it in the Memphis style.

Source: Favrspecs

September 2023

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Sales Point

Dita Optik Lens

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Dita Optik Lens
Eyewear Passion

Silmo Istanbul offers an ideal opportunity to see many brands and products together. It also gives us the chance to meet and chat with our colleagues again.

Hello Mr. Tarık. First of all, could you introduce yourself a little and tell us about how your path crossed with the optical sector?
Hello, I was born in Istanbul in 1980. In 2006, I graduated from Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University Opticianry Department and received my optician license. My uncle İbrahim İnanç was instrumental in me starting my profession and getting interested in this profession. He is the first eyeglass case manufacturer in Turkey. It was thanks to him that I first saw the production of eyeglass cases and their stages during the school holidays. I also had the chance to get to know different optical stores while delivering the glasses cases to the these stores. Therefore, during the summer vacation of 1995, I wanted to work at Karizma Optik and Saat store in Nişantaşı. Although this store sells both optics and watches, I was more interested in the optical aspect. I think this first official step into the profession contributed greatly to my self-confidence and experience.

How did you decide to open your store? How many stores do you have? Could you tell us about the vision and goals with which you opened your store?
We opened our first store in 2000 with my brothers who entered the optical sector before me. We expanded this store with two branches we opened in 2002. However, in 2004, we came to a turning point and parted our commercial ways as brothers. I took over a well-established optical store in the historical Galata district of Istanbul in the same year and laid the foundations of our current store Dita Optik. Then I opened our second branch named Dita Gözlük Aşkı. The second branch was followed by the store named Dita Optik Pera, which we opened this year. Although our stores are located in historical and close neighborhoods of Istanbul, we wanted to give our branches different names because they have different concepts. While opening our stores with my wife Dilek Taşgın, who is also an optician, our main mission was to offer the most accurate and most suitable products for our customers without compromising the ethical rules in sales. With this goal in mind, we continue to offer quality products and quality lenses to our customers.

Your newly opened store is located in a place frequented by tourists. Could you tell us about the advantages and disadvantages of serving tourists?
Our newly opened store is located in a location frequented by local and foreign tourists. However, I would like to state here that all our customers are very valuable to us, regardless of whether they are local or foreign. We have the chance to meet with people from all over the world in our stores.

Do you have products from every group in your store? How do you choose the optical and sunglasses brands you will sell?
We have products from every group in our store. Especially in the optical service, we advise our customers to take their time, see the options and make a decision by getting the right information from us. We are also selective when choosing products for our store. We try to choose quality, proper and long-lasting products. When we sell glasses, we are not only selling glasses, we are also selling an important accessory. When we show the right options, the happiness of our customers makes us even happier.

What are the most sold optical and sunglasses brands in your store?
In our store, we bring together the products of Doğan Optik, Atölye Optik, Safilo, Derigo, Luxottica, Ata Optik, Elite Optik and many distributors with our customers. Our customers can access countless brands and models from our store.

Designer brands are very popular in recent years. Do you also receive requests from your customers in this direction?
The fact that our stores are located in museums, historical palaces and architectural monuments, where art is prominent and art events are organized, guides our product choices. Most of our customers are people who know what to buy and come with brand and model information. Recently, we have been observing a trend towards designer brands. Based on this, we also include designer brands in our stores.

How do you inform your customers about changes and campaigns in your store?
Today, people prefer to access information about your store via the internet and social media. We think that advertising and correct expression are important in these channels and we attach importance to this issue. We also inform our customers from time to time with the optical program we use and SMS.

As a retailer, what are your views on the price competition between you and your colleagues?
When you value your customers and find the right product with a proper explanation, your customers will not look for other places. Eyewear business is a business of trust. People should trust you. The customer can catch this with your stance, your expression and the atmosphere of your store. I am always busy with the question of how I can make my store better. I do not follow the price policy of the stores near me. When you do your job right, people do not look for other places.

As someone who serves the sector, what do you think about the rate and awareness of eyeglass use in our country? What can be done to increase the use of eyeglasses and who has a duty?
Although eye surgeries have increased with the developing technology, I think that the use of prescription glasses will continue regardless. Today, sales of sunglasses have increased with laser surgeries and this is a positive development for us. However, if we make people love glasses by giving them beautiful glasses and aesthetic designs, we can turn them away from the desire to have laser surgery. I think that if we adopt the view that glasses are not only a means of vision but also an accessory as all colleagues, we can sell more than one pair of glasses to our customers with this awareness. Lens companies should organize seminars in hospitals and eye polyclinics to inform ophthalmologists about the developing technology. I believe this will make a positive contribution to our profession.

Do you follow international optical fairs and sectoral developments abroad?
We had the chance to visit the Mido fair in Milan among the fairs abroad. We will participate in fairs abroad again. Silmo Paris visit is also in our plans. I think fairs are very useful to see sectoral developments closely. I especially recommend every colleague to visit all the fairs.

What are your opinions and evaluations about Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair held between December 17-20, 2022?
This valuable fair held in our country took place with a nice intensity. The sector came together for four days with the fair atmosphere that everyone missed. Silmo Istanbul offers an ideal opportunity to see many brands and products together. It also offers the chance to meet and chat with our colleagues and many professionals again. We look forward to coming together again at Silmo Istanbul 2023.

Could we learn your views on 4 your eyes, which started to be published digitally as of 2023?
Although we are a little sad that we cannot bring 4 your eyes magazine, which we have been looking forward to coming to our stores every month for years, together with our customers during their shopping, it is very important and pleasing for us that your magazine reaches a wider audience thanks to digital publication. Thank you for your quality news, efforts and this interview.

September 2023

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