PEAKLIFE

SR Gopal Rao was established in 1936 with roots dating back to the 19th century. The brand has been focused on retailing a curated set of luxury eyewear for over 3 decades now and it continues to bring the finest brands in luxury eyewear. Opticians to the maharajas of Mysore, SRGR houses exclusive and timeless pieces that are available on sale only for a limited period. As a part of this shipping pop-up, vintage pieces from Ray-Ban’s Arista Collection- manufactured by Bausch & Lomb in the 1990s will be available for sale.

SRGR and Capsul are both multi-designer retail brands. While Capsul focuses on curated, fashionable streetwear and street-luxe for the youth, SRGR is focused on hand picked, high quality luxury eyewear. Both brands are Bangalore based and led by women entrepreneurs who are passionate about fashion.

Here’s PEAKLIFE in conversation with Meghana Manay…

Could you please tell us about your association with S.R. Gopal Rao Opticians & Optometrists?

S.R.Gopal Rao Opticians is a heritage brand in Bangalore, Karnataka. The company has been dispensing optics for the last 85 years and even longer under the name of S.N.Rama Rao whose S.R.Gopal Rao’s father. I am the 4th generation optician (5th gen under S.N.Rama Rao) to take over the family business.

The founder, S.R.Gopal Rao, is my great grandfather and that’s how I am connected with the firm. This makes us a long line of opticians, serving eyecare and eyewear to over 500000 + people of different generations & eras in the last nine decades. My portfolio of activities involves business development, marketing and operations. I am currently the Chief Operations Officer at S.R.Gopal Rao Opticians & Optometrists.

What are the trends that you are seeing in the eyewear industry for the 2021?

Eyewear is an interesting product as it serves dual purposes. One is fashion and the other is functional which is enabling sight. It’s important for us to consider both aspects equally when it comes to eyewear. Thus the spectrum of trends in the eyewear industry is quite large. Some designers and design houses focus only on fashion while others focus only on the functional aspects of it and there is a whole lot that fit in the middle.

Companies experiment largely with sunglasses over spectacles. Some of the highly fashionable products that I have seen this year, which may trend in 2021, are sunglasses that look completely futuristic, such as those from a new age brand called Kuboraum! More avant garde than any of those that I have seen so far.

There are others which are super sleek; shaped like the nike tick or a headband, barely covering the eyes. Examples of these are the Kanye West sunglasses which looks straight out of a star trek episode. Eyewear brand Polaroid has come out with half face shields which are mirror coated and fit like sunglasses. These actually double up as protection from the sun and germs as it just about covers the nose.

The style is really cool, with mirror coated tints and catching on pretty fast given the current situation. In spectacles, the trends are moving towards super-thin metal rims or really thick statement frames. Anything slightly oversized is a plus. Vintage (60’- 80’s) and classical styles are also making a comeback in spectacle frames. The best trend in 2021 will be eco-friendly eyewear and/or sustainable business in the eyewear industry.

What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of your job?

The most challenging part of my job so far is people management. Juggling several relationships can be difficult. The challenge of people management is not just limited to this industry though. I believe its leader/manager specific and can happen for anyone who’s still eager to learn and please. I have a long way to go. Managing several suppliers and multiple POC’s within each partner company can be overwhelming at times.

People management also involves internal recruitment, training and ensuring cultural values of SRGR are adhered to. Inventory and purchase management is another activity that can be daunting. Managing both activities are the most time consuming and defining aspects of my job. While these two aspects are challenging, they can also be very rewarding. Suppliers are super important to us and establishing a good relationship with our partners can take us a long way. The results are seen when we can service the customer requirements quicker, better & faster.

More importantly, exactly how they wish it to be. Seeing people who are hired grow in their career, learn new skills and better themselves is pretty fulfilling too. Thanks to the lineage that S.R.Gopal Rao Opticians comes with we get access to several brands that we can retail exclusively to our customers in the city. The rewards can be seen in the form of turnover, partner support, team strength and invitations to speak at several industry related events and webinars.

What advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Being a business person is one thing and being an optician or an optometrist is another. One will have to decide on which they want to be first. While being a business person is multifaceted being an optician or optometrist is a specialised profession. I would advise one to be a part of this profession only if they enjoy interacting with people and learning about the technical aspects of the products. Having an interest in luxury brands will help too.

The role of the optician is very similar to that of a salesperson in any specialised product store like that of watches, hearing aid, and so on. It also requires a lot of patience and empathy as the average time that a customer spends at our stores is anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour to make a decision and a purchase. The optometrist plays an important role.

I believe one chooses to be an optometrist because they wish to do something for the larger good. The role is para-medical and selfless. The sense of sight is one of the greatest gifts that we have been bestowed with and ensuring that all goes well in that area is the responsibility of the patient first, then the Optometrist, and finally the Ophthalmologist.

What are your future plans?

The future holds more good for S.R.Gopal Rao, the team, partners and its customers. Establishing a wider presence for the business in Bangalore and in India is my main aim. Using our online portals, getspexy.com and soon-to-launch the SRGR shop will help us achieve this across the country. The plan to expand and grow our presence in the city is the most exciting activity for me. It has to be innovative, creative and immensely rewarding to the team and our customers. Needless to say, the ideas do have form but can only be discovered once it takes shape.