Franchising

THE IDEA
Mixing entertainment and excitement with high quality offerings and bright colorful stores, Sweet Factory has captured significant market share in bulk candy retailing, one of the fastest growing retail phenomena sweeping the country! We are THE “Candy Authority,” executing a winning formula for retail success that sets the standard for bulk candy retailers.

OUR MISSION
Advance our leadership position as America’s dominant candy retailer by providing great service and quality product in a dynamic store design while steadily increasing sales from our expanding core business and strategic partnerships.

OUR APPEAL

• Country’s largest bulk candy retailer: “America’s Candy Store”• Strategic locations in America’s premier malls and high traffic locations enhance landlord relationships, constantly creating new real estate opportunities
• Store design adaptable to multiple venues (malls, kiosks, airports, sports arenas, entertainment centers, etc.
• Retailer of choice for nearly 75 candy manufacturers creates leverage buying opportunities
• Executive/management team that has the experience and proven track record in candy, retail and franchise industries

THE FUTURE
Candy is an American “way of life!” Each American will consume an estimated 25 pounds of candy every year, contributing to a $24 billion dollar industry growing at a projected 5% per year over the next 5 years. Our candy stores appeal to kids (and adults!) of all ages and over 95% of them will return within a calendar year.

Sweet Factory is the best-financed bulk candy specialty retailer in the country with strong annual growth rate in high traffic retail locations! We will continue our leadership role in the “pick and mix” candy industry by focusing on quality, freshness, and up-to-the minute candy trends! Our extremely effective one-price system and our introduction of branded chocolates have taken us to new heights of retail marketing.

Sweet Factory’s goal is to become the dominant specialty candy retailer and “brand” by placing stores in prime retail locations across the country. We are extremely well positioned to carve out an even larger share of this unique $24 billion opportunity.

What Separates Sweet Factory from its competitors?
It’s not just the bright, colorful, fun-to-shop stores. We have the best selection of the most in-demand candies, including bulk, count gods, candy-related gifts, sugar-free and kosher products. We can source the most in-demand and unique products because of our volume. Our one-price format, colorful self-serve bins and well- conceived merchandising planners make our products pretty hard to resist.

Franchise Overview
Sweet Factory is the market leader in the one-price bulk candy industry, one of the fastest growing retail phenomena sweeping the country! We are executing a winning formula that sets the standard for bulk candy retailers.

Owning a Sweet Factory franchise can provide you with an exciting and rewarding business opportunity – not to mention a fun place to work. We seek well-qualified candidates who share the same passion as we do. To get you started, we will provide you with market evaluation, site selection, and lease negotiation assistance; store design assistance in accordance with our standards; education you in our comprehensive training program; support you during your pre-opening setup and store grand opening; and provide you with a copy of our confidential Franchise Operations Manual.

Throughout your association as a Sweet Factory franchise owner, you will continue to receive the benefits of operational support and consultation from Corporate Support left staff. In addition, we will provide merchandising, special event, and holiday promotional support throughout the year. Of course there are creative marketing programs to enhance your store performance.

Equally as important, our ongoing support, service, and quantity discount programs will enhance your opportunity for success.

Enjoy the satisfaction of becoming your own boss and part of the Sweet Factory family.

Franchise Support
Sweet Factory Franchise is proud of the excellent support system provided to our franchisees.

Site Selection
We will assist you in selecting a location based on our site selection criteria: track record of mall, demographics of trade area, comparisons of other impulse and snack tenants’ sales, traffic counts, visibility and competition.

We also consider the general location and neighborhood, traffic patterns, lease terms, contributions for leasehold improvements, if any, form the landlord and, of course, the proximity of other franchised units to your proposed franchise location.
We strive to give our franchise owners every opportunity to succeed and that, of course, starts with a good location.

Design and Construction
We will assist you with floor plans for your specific location. All design plans and specifications should follow in accordance with the Franchise Agreement. New stores get the latest highly stylized look and feel. We will make available to you our standard plans and specifications for a prototype store, including exterior and interior design and layout, fixtures, furnishings, and signs.

Training
A store can only be as good as its management team and associates! We are committed to providing a hands-on, extensive 6-week Owner/Manager-in-Training Program that covers the following subjects: customer service, store standards, store organization, POS training, opening and closing, employee scheduling, merchandising, project management, office administration, physical inventory, and much more.

Field Support
Our goal is to equip you with all the tools you need to run a successful operation. Our team of experts in Real Estate, Merchandising, Design, Construction, and Operations are always ready to help you. Site visits are conducted periodically to make sure your store is delivering the premium candy buying experience.

We have a team of buyers and merchandisers and are always one step ahead of the latest candy and collectibles trends. Sweet Factory strives to have the most sought after items for which customers are looking.

On-Site Support
On-site pre-opening and post-opening assistance at the store is provided in accordance with provisions of the Franchise Agreement.

Continuing Education
You will receive periodic emails and weekly mails to educate you on running a successful Sweet Factory store.

Financial/Investment
We are looking for individuals who have prior retail ownership or management experience and a passion for building the Sweet Factory brand.

Following is an overview of financial requirements for Sweet Factory franchise candidates and estimated ranges for franchise costs.

Initial Franchise Fee: $30,000
On-going Royalties: 5%
Advertising Fee: 1-2% (if applicable)
Minimum Net Worth: $1,000,000
Liquid Assets: $400,000
Term of Franchise Agreement: 10 years, with two subsequent successor options of five years each

Estimated Investment Costs
The estimated initial investment for a Sweet Factory franchise ranges from $355,500 to $1,500,000