Sunglasses in Turkey

2021 DEVELOPMENTS

Improving prospects for sunglasses as restrictions are relaxed and tourists return

At the end of the review period, consumers continued to seek out the latest trends in sunglasses. Popular trends included flat-tops, futuristic structures, oversized frames, retro round, and large cats’ eyes designs.

Rise of e-commerce as consumers seek branded products at lower prices

E-commerce had a limited but expanding share of sales of sunglasses prior to COVID-19, with optical shops holding the dominant channel share. As consumers become increasingly aware of the importance of eye health and the potential dangers of over-exposure to the sun’s rays, many have moved away from unbranded or even counterfeit products which were widely available in street markets.

Increasing cross-over into sunglasses from other apparel retailers

Apparel and footwear specialist retailers such as Koton, Defacto, H&M, LC Waikiki, and Inditex which mainly serve other categories, have begun to invest heavily in sunglasses collections. Prior to COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown, the competitive prices of these outlets encouraged many Turkish women towards impulse purchases.

PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Ongoing growth for sunglasses as price hikes boost current value sales

Sunglasses is expected to continue to record ongoing steady volume growth over the forecast period, driven by population growth and gradual improvements in the economy. As purchasing power improves, more Turks will begin to wear iconic, international brands of sunglasses, such as Ray-Ban, Police, and Carrera, with fashion trends driving many in their purchasing decisions.

Future of fast fashion uncertain in sunglasses as consumers prioritise protection levels and quality over price

The renewed emphasis of health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic is encouraging more consumers to turn to optical shops to access qualified advice and ensure they are purchasing high quality products. Whilst fast fashion retailers have recently been investing in sunglasses, the trend is towards well-designed, higher-priced sunglasses, rather than cheap, albeit fashionable ones.

Optical stores to remain dominant, although in-store time is likely to decrease due to the growth of online research

Whilst the share of e-commerce is set to continue growing, driven by the increasing number of internet users, wide product variety, and special discounts offered by online platforms, in-store retailing channels will continue to play the main role in sales of sunglasses over the forecast period. Optical stores will remain by far the most popular distribution channel for sunglasses in Turkey with large, chained retailers expected to maintain their high dominance in distribution.