The average consumer spends $116.21 on Valentine’s Day related purchases, according to the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, and franchisees can take advantage of that openhandedness. From chocolate franchises to pizza franchises and just about everything in between, franchisees can market their products and services to capture Valentine’s Day sales. As you’re researching franchise business opportunities this year, think not only about how your choices might perform during their hottest seasons, but also how they leverage smaller celebrations like Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate franchises like Schakolad are obvious candidates for promotional Valentine’s Day deals. Since 47.5% of all gifts given on Valentine’s Day are candy and a chocolate is a traditional gift, most chocolate franchisees can expect to do a large part of their annual business for Valentine’s Day. If you’re considering a chocolate or candy franchise, it’s a good idea to take a look at special offers and discounts for Valentine’s Day this year and see how they affect the business. Do they bring more customers in the doors? Do they increase brand awareness successfully? What sort of profitability do franchisees see from these deals? You might discover that discounts and deals cut into profits more than you’d like—or that they don’t do enough to bring in people through the door. Or you might be completely happy with the Valentine’s Day efforts and that can strengthen your decision to sign on.
Other franchises can also market on Valentine’s Day for special deals. Pizza franchises might make special pizzas in the shape of a heart, make special message pizzas with toppings, or offer special delivery deals for those being too romantic to go out. Cleaning franchises might offer deals for husbands to treat their wives to a clean home. Computer franchises can offer to clean the “love bugs” off of a computer at a discounted rate for Valentine’s Day. There are endless ways to incorporate the holiday into marketing and franchisees can take advantage of the love tizzy around the day.
When you’re investigating franchises, ask about how they handle promotional days and what they might have done in the past to attract attention and customers. You don’t have to limit it to Valentine’s Day. There are thousands of “holidays,” like National Guacamole Day or National Administrator’s Day, that franchises can take advantage of to generate something special with customers. These sorts of days give the franchise an excuse to make contact with customers and generate excitement around the brand, and doing so is a sign of marketing savvy.
Another thing to ask is how franchisees fit into these promotions. Does every franchise have to participate? Are there consequences if a franchisee decides to opt out of a promotion? Can franchisees initiate their own promotions or is that only an option available for the franchisor? All of these questions are important to consider when you’re checking into a franchise.
Asking plenty of questions increases the chances that you’ll love your franchise business!
