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Health food store franchises

Written by: Diarmuid Kieran

Article Overview: Thanks to recent press coverage of the affects bad lifestyle choices can have, people today are becoming more concerned than ever about their health, taking more exercise and eating much more sensibly.

Health food store franchises

Thanks to recent press coverage of the affects bad lifestyle choices can have, people today are becoming more concerned than ever about their health, taking more exercise and eating much more sensibly.

Sales of health foods, vitamins and supplements are going through the roof as consumers seek out the latest wonder foods and diet aids, providing budding entrepreneurs with the perfect environment to set up a successful health food store franchise.

While anyone with good business sense can successfully run a health food store, it does help if franchisees believe in what they are promoting. Therefore someone who is dedicated to helping others and who has a genuine interest in alternative medicine, special diet foods and natural remedies would be the ideal candidate to run such a franchise.

An awareness of environmental issues and a natural distrust of pesticides and genetically modified (GM) foods will also help franchises to sell their products convincingly and encouraging customers to opt for healthy, natural produce. Qualifications in nutrition could also prove very useful.

Managing any retail outlet can be a demanding job, so franchises must be motivated and willing to put in long hours in order to keep the business running successfully.

Potential health food store franchisees need to look carefully at the location of a franchise before making any decisions. It is important to ensure that there is enough demand for health foods in a given area and that a nearby supermarket intent on cashing in on the popularity of organic food is not going to provide unwelcome competition.

Indeed extensive market research should be carried out in order to discover which types of people the business is expected to attract and where they are most likely to shop.

Some health food stores, in response to the rising popularity of alternative food and medicines, have added various services to their range as well as products, for example as allergy testing and aromatherapy. Franchisees must therefore decide which kind of business they wish to run and work to reach their target audience accordingly.

One benefit of investing in a franchise however is the ability to take on an already-established brand name and benefit from marketing and advertising support.

Investing in a franchise business could also be beneficial for those who have less experience dealing with suppliers, since the company will already have a number of well-established suppliers in place to provide the goods, allowing franchisees to quickly build up a good customer base without having to worry about checking suppliers' credentials.

Enthusiastic entrants to the health food store industry could find that setting up their own franchise is both a rewarding and lucrative way of making a living. But franchisees are advised to look carefully at all available options before munching on what looks to be a winning business opportunity.

Copyright Adfero 2006

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Re: Top Franchises For 2007 - [quote="Evan":3anvjxpw]Entrepreneur came out with a list of the top franchises for 2007. They are: 1. Subway 2. Dunkin' Donuts 3. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service 4. 7-Eleven Inc. 5. UPS Store, The/Mail Boxes Etc. 6. Domino's Pizza LLC 7. Jiffy Lube Int'l. Inc. 8. Sonic Drive In Restaurants 9. McDonald's 10. Papa John's Int'l. Inc. It still seems to be dominated by food companies (70% of the list!) Can non-food companies make it as a successful franchise?[/quote:3anvjxpw] Could be the convenience factor. I live in a reasonably small town, yet we have an unreal number of restaurants and there are so many restaurant franchises. All the food businesses shown in the top 10 are fast food and with Domino's and Papa John's, they even bring dinner to your door. Everyone eats - and more people seem to eat out all the time. Shri
Re: Are franchises with unhealthy foods still wise investments? - I think I can add some simmer to the fire by saying that people will ALWAYS choose convenience over healthy options. If you have to drive a few miles out of your way to get food that will cost you typically more than your next door fast food place - you will most likely choose the fast food. This isn't coincidence. Much of the site survey research conducted by researched and consultants is done using georeferencing data. They will essentially draw buffer zones around nearby competitors and franchises and then plan where to put their next one simply for convenience. At the end of the day, a healthy option will involve more fighting and fidgeting with your product to make it enticing enough for people other than health nuts to purchase.
Top Franchises For 2007 - Entrepreneur came out with a list of the top franchises for 2007. They are: 1. Subway 2. Dunkin' Donuts 3. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service 4. 7-Eleven Inc. 5. UPS Store, The/Mail Boxes Etc. 6. Domino's Pizza LLC 7. Jiffy Lube Int'l. Inc. 8. Sonic Drive In Restaurants 9. McDonald's 10. Papa John's Int'l. Inc. It still seems to be dominated by food companies (70% of the list!) Can non-food companies make it as a successful franchise?
Re: Are franchises with unhealthy foods still wise investments? - [quote="JBunion":1fbkw07r]I think I can add some simmer to the fire by saying that people will ALWAYS choose convenience over healthy options. If you have to drive a few miles out of your way to get food that will cost you typically more than your next door fast food place - you will most likely choose the fast food. This isn't coincidence. Much of the site survey research conducted by researched and consultants is done using georeferencing data. They will essentially draw buffer zones around nearby competitors and franchises and then plan where to put their next one simply for convenience. At the end of the day, a healthy option will involve more fighting and fidgeting with your product to make it enticing enough for people other than health nuts to purchase.[/quote:1fbkw07r] Hi JBunion, I'm in full agreement with you as "healthy" franchises like Cultures typically overcharge for simply items like tuna sandwiches. If given the choice between a costly tuna sandwich (that doesn't cost anything to make) vs a cheaper grease burger with fries... it's easy to see why the unhealthy alternative typically wins.
Re: Drones work at franchises - [quote="BuzzAroundBooks":35m2vhk2]I don't think there's anything wrong with working for someone else, but I [u:35m2vhk2]HATE[/u:35m2vhk2] the idea of being nothing more than a non-thinking [u:35m2vhk2]replaceable drone[/u:35m2vhk2]. We're all human beings, so why do franchises treat their employees like "worker bees" (i.e. work them till they quit or die or at least wish for their own deaths)?[/quote:35m2vhk2] WOW! I think your point of view is really harsh and not objective at all. You obviously had a terrible experience working for McDonalds but it is just ONE bad experience... not even from the point of view of the franchisee or manager of the place, but from your point of view as an employee. McDonalds may have "military like" operations but that's probably what took them where they are today. While some companies may use employees as "replaceable drones", I think most of them know it's in their best interest treating their employees well. High employee turnover is VERY expensive as you may know. Also, when you say [i:35m2vhk2]"franchises treat their employees like "worker bees" (i.e. work them till they quit or die or at least wish for their own deaths)"[/i:35m2vhk2], I think you are generalizing your point of view which I believe only relates to the fast food industry. Yes, McDonalds might use their employees but I REALLY doubt they wish for their own death. Besides, franchising is NOT only fast food. Many business services franchises (sign a rama, etc...) rely a lot on the knowledge of their employees and treat them very well. You make franchises sound like evil corporations here. Let me remind you that most franchises are actually small businesses. In most cases, your local Quiznos is owned and operated by someone who put a lot of money on the table to be granted the right to use a trademark and operate under a certain business name. I understand you couldn't see yourself as a franchisee. Well, that's fine, you don't have the right profile, but please moderate yourself and realize franchising is the right way of going for some people who may not have any business/management experience and who want to work for themselves but not by themselves.


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