From the
editor’s
desk
BY Kerry Pipes
Franchise
update|Q4
CHAIRMAN
Gary Gardner
CEO
Therese Thilgen
H
Growing Better,
Not Bigger
both new and existing franchisees. Every
ow do you measure growth?
It’s an interesting question. unit is important—at least it should be.
As I flew home from our recent Sure it’s important to expand the brand,
Leadership & Development Conference, establish marketplace dominance, and
I found myself reflecting on the numerous beat competitors to the punch. But the
conversations I had (and overheard) with brand’s units must be strong and healthy
some of franchising’s most savvy profes- or it all turns into a house of cards and
sionals. CEOs, presidents,
collapses.
and development executives
Perhaps this new “unitRather than
from brands both large and
spend energy focused” strategy helps exsmall, food and non-food,
plain why some established
and dollars
retail, and service rubbed
brands are beginning to imbuilding out
elbows during the event,
plement remodeling and respoke up during sessions, new store after design policies for their units.
and conversed in the hallIt’s important for franchises
new store,
ways from early morning
many brands to offer their customers the
to late at night. Time after
best of everything and do it
are investing in a clean, refreshed envitime, discussions turned to
in revamping ronment. Rather than spend
growth and brand development. Interestingly—and I’d
existing units. energy and dollars building
say positively—many execs
out new store af FW"