The franchisor knows that in order for a brand to remain relevant and appealing in a competitive market that revamping is par for the course. Some require large scale overhauls every six to eight years, while others are more realistic about the cost of revamping and only require small changes to be made to stores on a more regular basis.
Christo Calitz, CEO of Taste Holdings Food Division, has made a career out of unlocking the potential of brands through rebranding and giving image overhauls. In his words, he says “Rather make the changes while times are good, than be forced to change when everyone’s under pressure.”
What he means is that although you and your customers are happy with the way your store looks and the products it offers, making changes to the store can unlock a whole lot of potential new customers. Sometimes your customers and yourself aren’t even aware of the positive impact a change can make because you’ve become so used to things a certain way.
Have a conversation with your franchisor about its plans and how it wishes you to revamp your store. You could be in for a pleasant surprise. If not, and you find that other franchisees share your sentiment, take this to your franchisor too.
