Industry · municipality
Optical Store in Indre Østfold
An analysis of the industry, companies, and prospects
Executive Summary
The optical store industry in Indre Østfold is a stable but relatively small sector with five registered companies in the municipality. In recent years, the industry has shown gradual growth in both sales and number of employees, with an increase of 6.2% in the number of employees from 2025 to 2026. Sales reached NOK 51.8 million in 2024, but growth is weak in 2025. The industry is concentrated in Askim, where three of the five companies are located. The most prominent companies are Synsam Askim and Synssenteret Jrk Askim, which operate with high EBITDA margins of 18% and 16%, respectively.
Economic Overview
Sales and Employee Development
| Year | Sales (NOK) | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 33.0M | 28 |
| 2025 | 51.0M | 32 |
| 2026 | 51.8M | 34 |
The industry has had uneven development in recent years, with a sharp decline in sales from 2019 to 2020 (12.2%), but a strong increase from 2022 to 2023 (21.7%). The number of employees has grown continuously since 2021, with an increase of 19.0% from 2021 to 2022. This development indicates a gradual stabilization of the industry after a period of fluctuations.
Companies in the Industry
Registered Companies in the Industry
- Synsam Askim (Guderudgata 1, Askim) – AS, 16 employees, EBITDA NOK 3.6M, EBITDA margin 18%
- Synssenteret Jrk Askim As (Torvet, Askim) – AS, 15 employees, EBITDA NOK 4.7M, EBITDA margin 16%
- Banda Indre Østfold As (Osloveien 33, Askim) – AS, 4 employees, EBITDA NOK 101K, EBITDA margin 2%
- Interoptik Mysen (Storgata 6, Mysen) – AS, 0 employees, EBITDA NOK 321K, EBITDA margin 3%
- Smerteeksperten Emanuel Amitzur (Masengveien 1, Askim) – ENK, 0 employees, EBITDA NOK 0
Most companies are organized as AS, with one single ENK company. Banda Indre Østfold As had an extraordinary sales growth of 56% in 2024, while Interoptik Mysen has a negative operating result of NOK -158.5K despite sales of NOK 7.7M.
Business Geography
Geographic Distribution
| Location | Number of Companies | Employees | Sales (NOK) | EBITDA (NOK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Askim | 4 | 35 | 51.1M | 8.4M |
All companies in the industry are located in Askim, with a total of 35 employees and sales of NOK 51.1 million. Mysen has one company (Interoptik Mysen), but it has 0 employees and a low EBITDA of NOK 321K. The geographic concentration in Askim indicates that the town is an important marketplace for optical stores in the municipality.
Operational Dynamics
Operational Dynamics and Bankruptcy Statistics
None of the five companies in the industry are bankrupt, which shows stable operations. However, data indicates that Banda Indre Østfold As has a very low EBITDA margin (2%) compared to the other companies. Interoptik Mysen has a negative operating result (NOK -158.5K) despite sales of NOK 7.7M, which may indicate high operating costs. Synssenteret Jrk Askim As has the highest EBITDA (NOK 4.7M) and EBITDA margin (16%) among all companies.
Outlook
Outlook for Entrepreneurs
The optical store industry in Indre Østfold shows potential for growth, especially in Askim where there is a concentration of companies. The increasing number of employees (from 28 in 2016 to 34 in 2026) and the gradual increase in sales (from NOK 33.0M in 2016 to NOK 51.8M in 2024) indicate a stable market growth. Entrepreneurs should, however, be aware of competition from existing companies and the highly varied EBITDA margins. It may be profitable to explore locations in Askim, where there is a strong concentration of optical stores.
Outlook in Relation to Agriculture
Comparison with Agriculture
Agriculture is a broader industry in Indre Østfold with 22 companies, compared to the five companies in the optical store industry. Sales in agriculture have grown strongly from NOK 62.2M in 2016 to NOK 197.7M in 2025, while optical stores have lower but more stable growth. EBITDA margins in optical stores (average 13.6%) are higher than in agriculture (data missing for agriculture). Peer companies in agriculture such as Power Norge As Avd Askim (sales NOK 141.5M, EBITDA NOK 3.4M) show that agriculture has larger companies with higher sales, but lower EBITDA margins compared to optical stores.
Other companies in landbruk (not in optical store)
| Company | Industry | Address | Sales | Employees | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Norge As Avd Askim | electronics store | Askim Næringspark|Torget 12, 1830 | NOK 141.5M | 44 | NOK 3.4M |
| Galleri Og Atelier Art To Be As | audio equipment / musical instruments store | Bregneveien 10, 1825 Tomter | NOK 525.0K | 0 | NOK 52.0K |
| Galleri Og Atelier Art To Be As | audio equipment / musical instruments store | Bregneveien 10, 1825 Tomter | NOK 525.0K | 0 | NOK 52.0K |
| Andersen Handel & Service | electronics store | Roselundveien 137, 1820 Spydeberg | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Bryggerhuset Heidi Arntzen Frøshaug | audio equipment / musical instruments store | Sluppenveien 10, 1860 Trøgstad | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Eny Invest As | computer store | Sollia 28, 1832 Askim | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Eny Invest As | phone store | Sollia 28, 1832 Askim | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Hallerud Kultursenter Da | audio equipment / musical instruments store | Vatnveien 37, 1821 Spydeberg | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Håndverkstua Bjørg Bjørnstad | audio equipment / musical instruments store | Granveien 7, 1831 Askim | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Jukebox Jan Vidar Krugerud | audio equipment / musical instruments store | Torggata 20, 1850 Mysen | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Orgelhuset As | audio equipment / musical instruments store | Kvartsveien 25, 1820 Spydeberg | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Preinstaddata | computer store | Henstad alle 8, 1809 Askim | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Radio Og Tv Hvitevareservice As | computer store | Sørmyrveien 1A, 1820 Spydeberg | NOK 0 | 6 | NOK 0 |
| Real Urban Art Gary Charles Rowe | audio equipment / musical instruments store | Kleiva 1, 1832 Askim | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Spydeberg Radio Og Tv Ans | computer store | Sørmyrveien 1A, 1820 Spydeberg | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Kunsthub As | audio equipment / musical instruments store | Kjærlighetsstien 1, 1850 Mysen | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK -9.0K |
| Leins Telecom As | computer store | Brigadeveien 1, 1820 Spydeberg | NOK 4.6M | 2 | NOK -369.0K |
Conclusion
The optical store industry in Indre Østfold shows potential for growth and stability, with a concentration of companies in Askim. The increasing number of employees and the gradual increase in sales indicate a positive development. Entrepreneurs should, however, be aware of competition from existing companies and the varied EBITDA margins. It may be profitable to explore locations in Askim, where there is a strong concentration of optical stores. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses in the municipality for this industry.