In conversation with STEPHAN HINKERODE
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Stephan Hinkerode
Let’s meet Stephan Hinkerode, who has been responsible for three very strategic EU areas - the UK, Nordics and DACH - for 5 years now.
You worked in luxury brand development until you joined Marcolin in 2016, as the Head of DACH first and then also of the UK and Nordics. Did different countries require different strategies?
«I started working for Marcolin as the general manager of DACH, that means Austria, Switzerland and Germany, and after a few years I had the chance to take the lead of the Nordic and the UK countries, too. Approaching such different markets is very challenging, because you need to look beyond the brand’s core and you also must know the different approaches, needs and preferences of each market. But at the same time you need to keep into account that over the years all the markets change a lot, especially the needs and the customer behavior are completely different».
How have these markets – that are so strategic for the Eyewear industry – changed over the past years?
«They have changed greatly. Let’s just think about digitalization: this gives us plenty of different playing fields. For example, at the moment the end consumers have the chance to have different online options, so they make their decisions a bit faster or a bit more secure. But, at the same time, they still love to go inside the shop and have this personalized in-store experience: this is so important for end consumers».
What are the greatest challenges for 2025?
«As for the main challenges, in my opinion, the balance between innovation and the customer-centric approach is a very big key, because we need to make sure we can reach all the opticians, stores and, consequently, our end customers. Another challenge is digital optimization, an issue that Marcolin has always been committed to: if you look at our latest website tool, it’s a customer-centric tool that allows our customers to contact us anytime. And, for us, it’s brilliant that we can connect with our customers off the clock, because this will be the center of our mission also in 2025: to be the preferred eyewear partner for all opticians».
