Optical Store Industry in Aurskog Høland: Current State and Outlook

Optical store in Aurskog Høland is a small but dynamic industry with four registered companies in the municipality. In recent years, the industry has shown strong growth trends, especially from 2024 to 2025, where sales increased by 45.1% and the number of employees increased from 10 to 16. Activity is concentrated in Bjørkelangen, where three of the four companies are located. The industry has also shown variation in operating results and EBITDA margins, which may indicate differing competitiveness between companies. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable locations in the municipality for this industry.

From 2016 to 2025, sales in the optical store industry in Aurskog Høland have shown a complex development. Sales figures fell from NOK 14.6 million in 2016 to NOK 12.4 million in 2017, but stabilized afterward with an increase to NOK 16.8 million in 2024. The most significant growth was recorded from 2024 to 2025, where sales increased by 45.1% to NOK 24.3 million. The number of employees has also shown growth, from 14 in 2016 to 16 in 2026, with a significant increase from 2024 to 2025 (60%). This indicates an improvement in the industry's operations and possibly increased demand for optical store services in the municipality.

In Aurskog Høland, there are four registered companies in the optical store industry. The main companies are:

• Synsam Bjørkelangen (Bjørkeveien 22, Bjørkelangen): AS, 6 employees, operating income NOK 9.0 million, sales NOK 8.9 million, EBITDA NOK 1.7 million.
• Lavista As Avd Bjørkelangen (Rådhusveien 2A, Bjørkelangen): AS, 5 employees, operating income NOK 8.2 million, sales NOK 7.8 million, EBITDA NOK 2.0 million.
• Skjermo As (Rådhusveien 6, Bjørkelangen): AS, 5 employees, operating income NOK 7.3 million, sales NOK 7.3 million, EBITDA NOK 761,000.
• Aesto As (Haneborgveien 627, Aurskog): AS, 0 employees, operating income NOK 0, sales NOK 0, EBITDA NOK 0.

All companies are organized as AS, and there are no bankrupt registered companies in the industry. This indicates a stable organizational structure and good operations in the municipality.

Activity in the optical store industry is concentrated in Bjørkelangen, where three companies are registered and 16 employees are employed. The main statistics for this part of the municipality include:

• Operating income: NOK 24.5 million
• Sales: NOK 24.1 million
• Wages: NOK 10.3 million
• Operating result: NOK 3.3 million
• EBITDA: NOK 4.4 million
• Gross profit: NOK 1,039.9 million
• EBITDA margin: 18%
• Gross profit margin: 4,314%
• Operating margin: 13%

This shows that Bjørkelangen is an important economic hub for the optical store industry in the municipality, with high profit margins and stable operations.

The industry has shown relatively stable operations with no bankrupt registered companies. However, there have been variations in operating results and EBITDA between companies. For example, Synsam Bjørkelangen had a 12% increase in operating result from 2024 to 2025, while Lavista As Avd Bjørkelangen had a 19% decrease in the same period. This may indicate that some companies have better operational strategies or market positions than others. It is important to note that Aesto As has no employees and no operating result, which may indicate a previous or current closure of the company.

In recent years, the optical store industry has shown strong growth trends, especially from 2024 to 2025, where sales increased by 45.1% and the number of employees increased from 10 to 16. This indicates increasing demand for optical store services in the municipality. For entrepreneurs, this can be a positive signal, but it is also important to be aware of the variation in operating results and EBITDA between companies. Entrepreneurs should consider thoroughly analyzing competitors and developing a differentiated approach to ensure competitiveness in the market area.

When comparing the optical store industry with the broader agriculture group in Aurskog Høland, data shows that agriculture has more companies (15) than optical stores (4), but agriculture has lower sales growth (13.0% from 2024 to 2025) compared to the optical store industry's 45.1%. Agriculture also has lower EBITDA margins, with some companies in the group having negative EBITDA values. Examples of companies in agriculture that are not optical stores include Tertitten Elektro As (electronics store) and Aurskog El Forretning As (electronics store), which have higher sales (NOK 34.8 million and NOK 7.8 million) but lower EBITDA (NOK 1.3 million and NOK 57,000). This shows that the optical store industry has potential for higher profits, even though it is smaller in scope compared to agriculture.

The optical store industry in Aurskog Høland has shown strong growth trends in recent years, especially from 2024 to 2025, where sales increased by 45.1% and the number of employees increased from 10 to 16. Activity is concentrated in Bjørkelangen, where three of the four companies are located. The industry has also shown variation in operating results and EBITDA margins, which may indicate differing competitiveness between companies. For entrepreneurs, this can be a positive signal, but it is also important to be aware of the variation in operating results and EBITDA between companies. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable locations in the municipality for this industry.