Franchise in Poland. Report from 2017

According to latest report from the consulting firm, almost 1,200 franchise concepts and almost 71,500 shops and service points work on the mature franchise market. The market continues to grow.

At the end of 2016 in Poland there were 1,171 franchise networks. In 2016, the number of networks increased by 51. There were 113 new concepts on the market, and 62 were closed.

• The market once again recorded an increase. The offer is getting richer and franchisors are getting more and more qualified to support their partners on the road to business success. As a result, running a franchise business becomes a save option.

Both the number of debutants and the brands coming down the market was lower than a year earlier. According to the authors, the results confirm that the franchise market in Poland is more mature, and the expectations of franchisees make the quality of franchise in Poland systematically improve.

• The market verifies and rejects unprocessed concepts, whose owners do not have much to offer, and only count on fast development at the expense of franchisees. Candidates for franchisees can tell the difference between a good franchisor and a trickster, and franchisors have better tools to support their partners.

Researchers expect that by the end of the year the number of franchise networks will be 1,220. At present there are 71.4 thousand shops and service points. According to forecasts, this year it will increase 2.6 thousand.

Number of franchise networks in Poland:

• 1995 - 23

• 2000 - 112

• 2005 - 310

• 2010 - 762

• 2015 - 1120

• 2017 – 1220

Number of franchise units in Poland:

• 2005 - 20661

• 2010 - 45202

• 2015 - 68557

• 2017 – 74000

In the first place the catering industry

The advantage of gastronomy is evident in the sector of the franchise market. People who were interested in opening their own restaurants and other catering establishments could choose from 204 concepts, while the market had over 3 700 points (an increase of nearly 500). The market most represented by franchisees has been the food and industrial sector for years – 156 commercial brands have 37,6 thousand licensed establishments (increase by more than 1600 points). Major players who develop a few brands in this segment are Eurocash and Carrefour. In 2016 e-cigarettes (for instansce eSmoking Wolrd) or pharmacies, also were bigger.

Polish capital, family companies

On the Polish market permanently rules Polish concepts. Eight of the ten franchisees on the Vistula are homegrown brands, with the majority (more than 85%) of franchise units operating. The franchise sector is also an important employer. With average employment at 5-6 persons per franchisee, the total number of employees in franchise locations is more than 385,000 people. With franchisees and franchisors there are even 480,000 employees on the Polish franchise market. Franchising companies are typically small family businesses employing a few people. It is one of the main way of small business development.

The cost of entering a franchise varies from several thousand to several million zlotys. According to experts, the average cost of running a franchise facility (except hotels) at present is 167 thousand net. More and more franchisors are taking steps to reduce the amount of investment. Some will take the costs of co-financing or they co-finance the purchase of equipment of the premises, others optimize the area of the stores or provide external financing for the franchisee's investment.