ÜNDERMİR OPTİK
synonymous with ic! berlin
Silmo Istanbul, which was held for the tenth time this year, has grown very professionally, innovatively and in step with the times. We are very happy to be a part of it.
Hello Ms. Gülçin & Ms. Ayşenur… Could you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about how you decided to enter the optical sector?
Hello. I am Gülçin Ündemir, I graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics and my first introduction to the sector was when I applied to ic! berlin’s job advertisement during my higher education in Germany. I got a part-time job at the company during my studies and when I decided to return to Turkey, the company offered me a job. In 2014, after 6 months of preparation, we opened the Turkish office of the German company and until 2020, we established our sales network in Turkey as a limited liability company with foreign capital and introduced the ic! berlin brand to Turkish Opticians and end consumers. Despite the difficult economic and political atmosphere of the country, we have achieved success with a gradually increasing sales curve and the support of our dear customers who trust us and our product.
With which aims and objectives did you decide to establish your company?
Together with my sister Ayşenur Ündemir, we established our own company Ündemir Optik in 2021 and continued our activities as the distributor of the brand from where we left off. There was no major change for us because we were already a very independent office as the German company’s representatives in Turkey. All the responsibility was on us and the management belonged to us. So there were no changes during the transition period except for some official arrangements and applications. We quickly decided to establish the company upon the suggestion of Germany because our relationship with the brand for 12 years and our increasing sales graph was enough to motivate us. We spent a lot of effort to introduce the brand in our country and achieve success, and we achieved our goal. Moreover, since we were now distributors, we had the freedom to incorporate new brands. However, thanks to our belief in the brand, we decided that it would be better to spend maximum effort on a single brand during the transition period. After three years, we have signed agreements with new brands and we are ready to expand our product portfolio with new, high-end European brands that fit our vision and working principles.
As we all know, you have been the distributor of ic! berlin brand in Turkey for a long time. Could you give us detailed information about the brand?
Founded in Germany in 1996, ic! berlin is the inventor of the screwless temple system, as readers may know. The glasses are handmade in Berlin from flexible, screwless, impact-resistant, stainless German steel and other materials such as durable natural rubber and carbon. It is a lifestyle brand and even a pioneer among lifestyle brands. The eponymous city of Berlin is in its Dna. It’s not just a brand name. As someone who lived in Berlin for 3 years and spends certain times of the year there, I am a witness to how the brand parallels the design language of the city of Berlin. Berlin is a constantly evolving, transforming, multi-layered European metropolis and we can see all these qualities that make the city attractive in the ic! berlin brand. It has always been very enjoyable for me to watch the development and transformation of the brand. Because it has always grown for the better and forward-looking. From my point of view, the fact that Germans do not compromise on robustness and technology, which is also part of their culture, their design approach that always prioritizes function and quality, and the fact that they do not give up their own line while following the trends is a strategy worthy of appreciation.
You introduced ic! berlin’s 2024 collection at Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair. How was the feedback?
The feedback was extremely positive. The collection is always getting better and this is reflected in our sales. New alternative models have been added to some of our best-selling models. One of the advantages of my close relationship with the brand and the company and having worked under their roof for a long time is that I am in dialog from the Production Manager to the designers. In this way, my feedback on the needs of my market is taken into account. Some new models that were found successful only in our market were added to the collection and the results of this were the good reactions we received at the fair.
Could you share with us the main features of your brands, their interaction groups and their position in the sector?
We define ic! berlin as a technological design brand. It is a light, functional, durable, user-friendly product. The collection is extremely wide and has a very good distribution within itself. Thus, it appeals to a consumer group in the premium segment that can have different styles. There is a product group called Core Collection, which has timeless and classic designs; a product group with more innovative and extraordinary designs, a product group that is more on the pulse of fashion; a product group that includes our collaborations with Mercedes Benz and AMG, which includes our partnerships with famous designers and brands; a product group with engineering marvel designs that include different materials and innovations, such as our newly launched patented carboflex collection made of carbon. All these different product groups are united by one common point: superior quality and being from Berlin. Our brand primarily appeals to the end consumer who knows the answer to the question “What is good design?”, who is eager and open to learn even if they do not know the answer, and naturally to the optical stores that are curious, love their business and are open to development. We are eager to improve ourselves and contribute to expanding the vision of the sector. I think we have an idealistic attitude in this regard and we are glad that this is the case.
What is your strategy for expanding your distribution and sales network?
We participate in national and international fairs. These participations are effective in establishing the first contact with our new potential customers. We make store visits in most regions of Turkey. We take our customers who have been loving our brand for a certain period of time on a factory tour and let them get to know the story of the product more closely, and this is usually very effective and reflects positively on sales. Since this is a lifestyle product, the person selling the product needs to know it very well and, moreover, love it. For this reason, we do not have an overly expansionist sales policy. We have not suffered any damage from this policy so far. Telling the story of the brand and educating the staff is our favorite and the thing we emphasize the most. We are open and moderate to serve and support opticians all over Turkey who are open to this, who agree with us to adopt a common strategy, and who look at working with us as a cooperation.
Do you follow international fairs and what are your thoughts on this subject?
Of course we do, we participate in all fairs in Europe. We find it necessary and enjoyable to keep the pulse of the sector. Because I think these world-renowned fairs are very important for following global trends and creating business opportunities.
As an exhibitor, how would you evaluate the Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, which was held for the 10th time with its new and larger service area?
Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, organized for the tenth time this year, has shown a very professional, innovative and contemporary growth. Silmo Istanbul, continuing its journey on its own with its Parisian partners, has managed to prove its strength to the professionals of the sector. We are watching this growth and development story with love and pride.
Thank you very much for this valuable interview. Finally, could we learn your views on the evolution of our magazine 4 your eyes into digital publishing?
It is pleasing to see your magazine keeping up with the times and this inspires us. The news and interviews in the magazine are always up-to-date and prepared with great effort. We thank you very much for the devoted effort you provide to the sector.
February 2024