In The News

2 February 2024 – Respected economic consultancy Infometrics is forecasting an improved economic outlook for New Zealand, with better GDP growth and inflation coming under control sooner than previously forecast

Vacuum and cleaning retailer Godfreys Group has appointed voluntary administrators amid a struggle with profitability and sales. The administrators will be seeking to sell the business and its assets as a going concern.

Godfreys was established in Australia in 1931 and is one of the world’s largest vacuum retailers and suppliers of specialty commercial floor care and associated cleaning products in New Zealand and Australia. The administrators, PwC, said Godfreys operates 141 stores and employs more than 600 staff across Australia and New Zealand. It also has an additional 28 stores run by franchisees. In New Zealand, there are 16 company-operated and 9 franchised stores.

During the administration period, the Godfreys business will continue to trade while PwC undertakes an operational restructure and sale process.

Read more at https://www.nzherald.co.nz/...

24 January 2024 – Franchise New Zealand has joined forces with Eden Exchange to take its multi-media platforms into a new era 

Recent reports suggest that business confidence is on the rise again following the formation of the coalition Government late last year. A Radio New Zealand report said that ANZ's December monthly survey showed a net 33 percent of respondents expected the overall economy to improve over the next 12 months, the highest since March 2015. A net 29 percent said their own business outlook was positive, a two-year high.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research’s Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion suggested that business confidence rose sharply in the final three months of 2023 despite concerns over the sluggish economy.

At the same time, annual inflation fell in line with economists’ expectations to 4.7 percent in the final three months of 2023, down from 5.6 percent in the previous quarter.

The annual Franchise Confidence Index, which measures the responses of franchisors and specialist service providers, is due to be published in a few weeks' time.

Read more at https://www.nzherald.co.nz/...

24 January 2024 – Franchisors asked to help the Massey University researchers next month to get the next Survey under way

Mitre 10 is changing the names of some bathroom products because they are culturally insensitive.

Mitre 10's imported 'Legacy' brand was using te reo Māori lake and river names for items such as toilet seats, toilet roll holders, robe hooks, grab rails and towel rails. The names, apparently used for five years, have now been covered with stickers using English language versions until current stock is sold.

Read more at https://www.stuff.co.nz/cul...

January 2024 – Return of 90-day trial periods a welcome development for small business

23 January 2024 – Plant-based fast food chain Lord of the Fries is looking for a new master franchisee to drive growth

Long queues have formed outside the first branch of new McDonald's concept brand CosMc's in Chicago - but will the new retro-themed, drinks-focused brand have staying power?

CosMc's yellow-and-purple design is meant to evoke nostalgia for the brand's past and is named after a strange and obscure company mascot - a cheeseburger-obsessed orange alien with six arms that featured in McDonald's advertising starting in the 1980s.
The menu is slightly more up to date. It includes breakfast sandwiches with slight uplifts - one comes with avocado and tomatillo along with egg and sausage - desserts such as filled donut-like pastries called McPops, and snacks including pretzel bites.

The real focus, however, is a long list of drinks that involve various permutations of caffeine, sugar and colours designed to pop on Instagram. They have names like Churro Frappe, S'Mores Cold Brew, Tumeric Spiced Latte and Tropical Spiceaide - a sweet lemonade with a slight kick and red fruits bobbing along the top. The drinks can be customised with various syrups, flavours, vitamin shots and boba - chewy, trendy tapioca pearls.

Read more at https://www.bbc.com/news/wo...

December 2023 - KidsCan and The Coffee Club proudly unveil the young winners of this year’s Christmas Cup Artwork Competition

Rodney Wayne, the visionary founder of Rodney Wayne Hair Salons, has been officially inducted into the Franchise Hall of Fame. 

21 November 2023 - Veteran Kiwi franchisor Rodney Wayne has again sparked debate about migration and skills shortages after saying that the past 12 months have been the toughest in the 53 years he has been in the hairdressing business.

Read more at https://www.nzherald.co.nz/...

11 November 2023 – This year’s Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards were among the most hotly-contested ever, and it was fitting that there were two new names on the Supreme trophies from franchise brands that had never stood on the top step before

6 November 2023 – Australia already has one of the most regulated franchise sectors in the world. Now the ACCC wants to introduce a licensing system which could strip the right to grant new franchises from franchisors

31 October 2023 – The latest Westpac Economic Overview looks at prospects for New Zealand in the wake of the election and comes up with a mixed bag

18 October 2023 – McDonald’s is repeating last year's successful hiring day under a new name as it seeks more staff

The giant sheep sculpture stolen from franchise lawyer Stewart Germann has turned up abandoned in a garden further down the street. See original story (and more puns) at https://franchise.co.nz/articles/3720-shear-nerve-franchise-lawyer-fleeced-in-ram-raid/

Read more at https://www.1news.co.nz/202...

March 2024 – The first Franchise Lending Summit in New Zealand is taking place in Auckland on Thursday 14 March

13 October 2023 – A giant sheep sculpture has been stolen from the garden of lawyer Stewart Germann

11 October 2023 – A well-established franchise executive is available to help franchisors on a contract basis

6 October 2023 - Dates have been released of the latest round of field management training programmes for franchises operating in New Zealand

25 September 2023 – The Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards name the best performers in the business. This year’s finalists are …

In our latest magazine, we look at how franchisors and franchisees can suffer if they don't respond fast and well to bad news stories on social media or when questioned by journalists. There have been some real horror stories involving NZ franchise brands recently. A half-day seminar with media expert Pete Burdon on 12 October will show franchisor teams how to deal with news threats on professional and social media, including simulating an actual event. See more details here.

Read more at https://www.franchisemediat...

20 September 2023 – The latest newsletter from business brokers ABC suggests that good business opportunities are in high demand thanks to record immigration

September 2023 – Franchise Lab is presenting a free online seminar designed for franchisor executives on Friday 22 September

13 September 2023 – Green Acres has partnered with Stihl to launch an ambitious nationwide emissions reduction programme by transitioning from petrol to battery-powered equipment

September 2023 –  Cabin hire franchise Mizin has been named Hire Company of the Year at the annual awards of the Hire Industry Association of New Zealand (HIANZ). 

September 2023 – The National Franchise Conference in Christchurch fuelled discussion, change and growth for franchisors and franchisees

September 2023 – The Franchise Association has elected an unchanged Board for 2023-2024, but there's a new Chair

August 21 – Cookie Time’s new Cookie Sandwiches have taken out Gold and Silver medals in the prestigious New Zealand Ice Cream Association Awards

19 August 2023 - Columbus Coffee and Mexico have joined The Coffee Club and Bird on a Wire as signatories to the Better Chicken Commitment which sets out higher welfare standards for chickens bred for meat

Read more at https://www.foodticker.co.n...

August 2023 – New report shows strengths and concerns of Aussie franchise sector

August 2023 – How fast will the New Zealand economy recover? The latest Westpac Economic Overview looks at the pros and cons, and we offer some key points for franchising

11 August 2023 - The Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme introduced last year is open to abuse, making migrant exploitation more rather than less easy, according to immigration advisor Ankur Sabharwal. 

8 August 2023 – Keeping customer loyalty costs Pizza Hut, KFC, Carl’s Jr. and Taco Bell operator 

Latest data on the Consumer Price Index has shown inflation dropped in the second quarter of 2023, from 6.7 percent to 6.0 percent. Food prices remained the biggest problem, and were the largest contributor to the June 2023 annual inflation rate. That was due to rising prices for vegetables, ready-to-eat food, milk, cheese, and eggs. Vegetable prices increased 23.3 per cent in the year to June 2023, affected especially by labour shortages, erratic weather, and increases in wage and fuel costs.

The overall 6 percent figure is broadly on a par with the Euro Zone and the USA (whose published figure of 3 percent is based on different criteria), and below that of the UK (8.7 percent) and Australia (7 percent).

When it comes to tackling inflation, Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold told the New Zealand Herald, ‘A lot of the market participants would say the US and New Zealand have done some of the better jobs.’ (paywall content)

Meanwhile, CoreLogic NZ’s latest Monthly Housing Chart Pack shows residential sales figures increased 17 percent in the 12 months to June, hot on the heels of the 8 percent annual bump recorded in May. ‘It’s important to note that this increase has started from a low base, but as pent-up demand starts to emerge it’s likely we’ll see more increases in sales activity in the remainder of 2023,’ said CoreLogic NZ Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson.

Read more at https://www.nzherald.co.nz/...

July 2022 – Franchising has its own jargon which can be pretty confusing to the newcomer. Here’s a guide to help you understand what it all means.