13/04 2022 - Stores
“What could possibly be interesting about spectacles?” That was Adel Adeli’s first thought when, after finishing business school, he went looking for a place to intern. He had imagined that he would be out selling electronics, but internships were scarce, so he had to shift his priorities. Somewhat reluctant, Adel applied and got an internship at Louis Nielsen* in Roskilde, Denmark. And then, it didn’t take long before his outlook had been reversed.
*In 2005, Specsavers acquired the successful Danish optical chain Louis Nielsen, led by its founder of the same name. As the brand was so well-known within Denmark, the stores kept operating under the name Louis Nielsen.
“Selling spectacles has a lot to do with eye health, so I soon found out that it’s a bit more complicated than many other things you can sell. It’s also about people, so no two cases are alike. For me, it quickly became more fun than selling flatscreens,” says Adel.
He quickly found out that he had a talent for creating good relationships with customers.
“I like how you get in close contact with the customers. You quickly develop a relationship and get customers of your own. It gives me a boost when people come into the store and ask for me. It builds confidence,” says Adel, who also learned that he had wound up in a company with excellent career opportunities. In 2015, he started as a sales intern in Roskilde, a city west of Copenhagen, where he continued working after his graduation. Not long after, he took a store manager position at Louis Nielsen in Stenløse, a town north of Roskilde, working alongside the store partner.
“I love how there’s always something new to learn. If you show interest and curiosity, you can develop very quickly,” says 28-year-old Adel, who’s happy to be in a fast-paced environment.
“Louis Nielsen has 50 per cent of the market in Denmark, and we are setting record after record. It’s a cool thing to be a part of. There’s always something to do, and no two days are ever the same. For me, it makes every day a little more fun,” says Adel.
At the age of 25, he became Louis Nielsen’s second-youngest store manager in Denmark when he joined the partner at Louis Nielsen Stenløse.
“My impression is that age doesn’t matter, as long as you show that you’re in control. I have a lot of responsibility, and therefore I’ve also grown a lot. I was quite surprised by the openness and freedom in the company. There’s a culture where the best idea wins. Everyone can have their say, and the management always wants to hear our opinion on how we can make things better,” says Adel, who aims to make an even greater mark as a partner at Louis Nielsen in the future.
He’s hoping that he’ll soon join Louis Nielsen’s internal ‘Partner in Development’ programme, which prepares partner candidates to become partners with their own Louis Nielsen store.
However, Adel isn’t in a hurry. For the time being, he’s enjoying life as a store manager and has just bought a house in Slagelse, a town in western Zealand, with his fiancée. They met when they both worked at Louis Nielsen in Roskilde. They have a good collaboration both privately and professionally, so Adel will certainly not rule out that they’ll join forces at Louis Nielsen one day. He finds it reassuring to know that the opportunity to advance is there when they feel like reaching out for it. And don’t worry: you don’t have to be married to a colleague to get a sense of the family-like atmosphere that runs through the organisation, says Adel.
“I have the feeling of being a part of one big family. Whenever you enter another Louis Nielsen store, your colleagues welcome you with open arms. It is almost touching.”
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