When it comes to convenience stores, there are a few different choices open to you. You can choose to remain completely independent, you can opt to be part of a symbol group, or you can open a franchise. All three options present pros and cons, yet choosing the route of a franchise can be extremely beneficial.
For a start, with a retail franchise, someone has already done the hard (not to mention time consuming) work of establishing the business and the brand for you. You are already ‘up and running’ so to speak, which will save you a considerable amount of time and effort.
Also, with a franchise you have the opportunity to be your own boss and still benefit from the support and backing of an experienced business partner who knows the market inside and out. Working with an established brand can generate instant customers too, as well as giving customers the reassurance of shopping with a name they already know and trust.
Plus, with a franchise, you’ll be given training and support, helping you focus on the things that are important to your success: setting up, developing and running your business to the best of your ability.
When you consider that 50% of new businesses fail in the first year, it puts the positives of franchising in even sharper focus, with the risk of being unsuccessful greatly reduced. So, weighing all of that up, the question ‘why franchise?’ seems to have some extremely positive answers. Now let’s look in even greater detail about what opening a franchise could do for you.
Be part of something powerful…
There are 46,955 convenience stores in mainland UK
Buying power: what are the benefits?
When you operate a standalone business and need to order products or supplies, you’re paying more money per item because your order is relatively small. However, when you run a franchise, this isn’t the case.
Franchising allows stronger buying power, providing the opportunity to purchase goods at a discounted price by buying in bulk. The parent company can use the size of the network to negotiate preferential deals and competitive rates that every franchisee then in turn benefits from, with a lower cost of goods lowering the overall operational costs of the franchise.
Why it pays to invest in a franchise…
Total value of sales: £44.7bn = over one fifth of the total grocery market
What are the benefits of franchising with One Stop?
As part of the Tesco group, there are many opportunities which are exciting and can provide benefits to the One Stop family of convenience stores.
Scale and support – not only will you leverage the size and scale of the UK’s largest food retailer, but you’ll also be also able to rely on support that is as comprehensive as it is outstanding. You’ll have your very own Business Development Manager and retail helpdesk – there to drive your business forward whilst ensuring you remain in charge.
A model that works – with One Stop, everything is tried, tested and proven – and all based on an existing (and highly successful) company-operated business model. Decisions are based on years of retail knowledge and experience, with data at its heart. Proven profitability is your reassurance of success. One Stop’s expertise and track record speak for themselves.
Value, volume, innovation and more – on top of all that, the award-winning One Stop Own Label range delivers value as well as volume, offering the kind of supermarket quality your customers can count on. And, when it comes to making your job easier, you’ll be able to rely on technology that does the hard work for you. Plus, you’ll always know you’re 100% safe and legally compliant too.
Opportunity starts here – by joining One Stop, you’ll have the chance to combine your work ethic with a well-known brand who are as focused and driven to be a success as you are. Invest in a franchise or start your own business? With One Stop, the opportunity is there to do both, be your own boss with the backing of a national brand. Find out more here about why choosing to franchise with One Stop is the right choice.
In conclusion. Go it alone or join a franchise?
Make no mistake about it – deciding whether to run a franchise or not is not an easy decision and certainly not one which should be entered into without a great deal of thought and research. However, ultimately it comes down to asking a few key questions…
- How flexible would it be to run a franchise versus being completely independent?
- What are the financial benefits? Does being a franchisee outweigh the alternative?
- How about status? Is it better to be part of an already-established business, backed up by a well-known high street name… or is it preferable to build your own reputation from scratch?
At the end of the day, it will be up to the individual shop owner to decide. But franchise opportunities across the UK make that particular path a highly viable (not to mention extremely simple) one to explore. Want to see if you tick all of One Stop’s franchisee boxes? Click here to take a look at our criteria.
Dan Amin – One Stop franchisee, West Bromwich
“We’ve been with One Stop since 2017 and we operate two stores under the franchise model. We’ve seen a 50% increase in sales, increase in footfall and also in customers’ basket spend. The Meal Deals are amazing, the IT systems and support are second to none and we’re surpassing our previous figures all the time.”
