Childrens Franchise Industry News & Announcements

Student Bands from Elementary through High School Showcase Talent & Compete to Win in Semi-Annual Event
BETHESDA, Md., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Bach to Rock (B2R), America's music school for students of all ages, announced today that the B2R Battle of the Bands X will kick-off at the Fillmore Silver Spring on June 10, 2012, before heading back to the 9:30 Club on June 23-24, 2012, for a jam band showdown. Hundreds of local students will showcase their incredible talent, performing a mix of original music and popular hits, for a chance to win professional studio recording time.
"Bach to Rock's 'Battle of The Bands' continues to grow in popularity thanks to our dedicated students and faculty," said Brian Gross, president of Bach to Rock...

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Creative Learning Corporation (OTCBB:CLCN), owner and developer of Bricks 4 Kidz®, the highly-popular children’s education and enrichment program, is pleased to announce record revenues and profits for the quarter ending March 31, 2012. The Company generated revenues of $802,227 with a pre-tax profit of $221,211. CEO Brian Pappas attributes the quarterly results to a substantial increase in lead flow from franchise seekers and higher closing rates as well as to the performance of the Company’s franchisees. Pappas stated, “You don’t sell franchises in any franchise system unless the franchisees are doing well. We focus tremendous energy on our franchisees through our support system and are constantly seeking ways to assist them in their local businesses...

Entrepreneurs Looking Beyond the Cookie Cutter Franchise Model
BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwire - May 22, 2012) - Pursuing a franchise concept can be attractive for a variety of reasons: proven business model, layers of support and resources in place to achieve success. Entrepreneurs were once after a consistent formula -- the cookie cutter franchise. However, today's franchisees want the satisfaction of integrating their personal opinion or style into the development and future of their business.
Flexibility in franchising isn't new, says Sue Hilger, vice president of franchise development for Kiddie Academy, an educational child care franchise organization. "Flexibility used to mean the opportunity to own a business and have a better work-life balance...

Company Celebrates Friendship in Honor of 15th Birthday and 100 Million Furry Friends Made
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW):
Who: Build-A-Bear Workshop®…
What:
…invites Guests and their furry friends to join the company in celebrating the first ever Friends Count Teddy Bear Reunion. To RSVP for this special event, visit buildabear.com/rsvp by May 23. Guests who RSVP for the Friends Count Reunion will receive a free bear-sized commemorative t-shirt for their furry friend.
“We anticipate that our Friends Count Teddy Bear Reunion will be the largest Teddy Bear Reunion ever,” said Maxine Clark, Build-A-Bear Workshop founder and chief executive bear. “We look forward to seeing our Guests and celebrating all the furry friendships that have been made at Build-A-Bear Workshop over the past 15 years...

Let the Voting Begin! Community to Choose the Next Faces of BabyGap and GapKids
SAN FRANCISCO, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- After a coast-to-coast search to find the brightest babies and kids, Gap revealed the 20 finalists now competing to be the winners of its sixth annual North American Casting Call contest.
Starting today through May 25, residents of the United States and Canada will decide which four children – one girl and one boy for babyGap and one girl and one boy for GapKids – will be featured in a Gap marketing campaign this fall. People can vote once a day every day by visiting www.gap.com/castingcall, Gap's Facebook page, or the Gap Casting Call app for iPhone and Android.
"As part of the submission process this year, we asked parents to tell us how their child brightens up the world and we were moved by their thoughtful and heartfelt responses," said Art Peck, president of Gap North America...

Bottle & Bottega to Open in La Grange, IL as Company Continues to Seek Savvy Professionals Across the Country.
Chicago, IL, May 18, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Bottle & Bottega, a premier corporate and social event business that creates fun and unique artistic experiences paired with wine, announced the sale of another franchise location, this time in the La Grange, IL market, a suburb just outside Chicago, the company’s headquarters and home to its flagship studio. The new owners, Paul and Meg LeFaivre, call La Grange home and will launch their business on June 11, 2012.
“Interest in Bottle & Bottega franchise territories has been very strong since our launch, especially in our home state of Illinois, and we couldn’t be more pleased and encouraged to welcome our newest franchise less than 6 months from the launch of our franchise program,” says Nancy Bigley, the company’s CEO and Co-owner...

SAN FRANCISCO - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) today announced that its Board of Directors authorized a quarterly dividend of $0.125 per share payable on or after July 24, 2012 to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 3, 2012.
About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading global specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, children, and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, and Athleta brands. Fiscal year 2011 net sales were $14.5 billion. Gap Inc. products are available for purchase in over 90 countries worldwide through about 3,000 company-operated stores, about 200 franchise stores, and e-commerce sites. For more information, please visit www...

Goddard Schools, a premier provider of early care and education in the United States, was selected to partner with AdvancED, the world’s largest accrediting and school improvement organization, to develop the new AdvancED Standards for Quality Early Learning Schools.
King of Prussia, PA (PRWEB) May 15, 2012 - Goddard Schools, a premier provider of early care and education in the United States, was selected to partner with AdvancED, the world’s largest accrediting and school improvement organization, to develop the new AdvancED Standards for Quality Early Learning Schools. The Standards are designed to specifically support early childhood education best practices and continuous improvement but also align with AdvancED’s overall accreditation process...

Kid's Closet Connection expands to Columbia, Mo. Kid's Closet Connection offers a proven and profitable business model to savvy moms who understand just how profitable children's consignment franchises can be.
Columbia, MO, May 14, 2012 - (PR.com) - A treasure trove of like-new children’s clothing and toys can be found in nearly every household. Kids consignment sales, like Kid’s Closet Connection, continue to explode in popularity as more families sell gently used items through consignment to supplement income and buy children’s items at up to a 90% savings over retail to stretch their budgets. It is no wonder that Kid’s Closet Connection’s proven and profitable franchise model is attracting business savvy moms like Ashley Boock, one of the company’s newest franchise owners...

May 14, 2012 // Franchising.com // NEW YORK -  Fluent in Foreign LLC, a New York City based advisory firm that helps companies grow, finance and protect their business internationally, has been retained by Apple Seeds International LLC to help them develop and manage children's activity centers, through franchising arrangements, in international markets.
Apple Seeds(R), which opened its first activity center in Manhattan in 2007, has won numerous awards for innovation in the design of its 15,000 sq. ft. facility as well as for its wide variety of extracurricular classes for children, and their parents or caregivers, from newborn to five years of age. Last year the company opened its first international facility, in Mumbai, India, with locations in Dubai and Mexico City slated to open this year along with a second Manhattan location...

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 10, 2012-- Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW), the interactive retailer of customized stuffed animals, announced today that Thomas Pinnau has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Pinnau, 47, will serve on the Audit Committee and the Compensation and Development Committee of the Board, effective immediately. With Mr. Pinnau’s appointment, the Build-A-Bear Workshop® Board will have eight members, seven of whom, including Mr. Pinnau, are deemed independent by the Board under New York Stock Exchange rules and other applicable regulations.
As previously announced, William Reisler retired from the Board on May 10, 2012, effective with the expiration of his term at the Build-A-Bear Workshop 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders...

New Collection Offers a "T" for Everyone; Digital Experience Offers Creative Ways to Upcycle Old T-Shirts into Fashionable Accessories
NEW YORK, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Using the t-shirt as a medium for self-expression, Gap's new global marketing campaign captures how summer's favorite wardrobe staple is an effortless way to convey individual style. Emphasizing lush fabrics and updated figure-flattering fits in an optimistic range of colors and silhouettes, Be Your Own T highlights the three distinct categories of the new T collection—The Now Tees, The Essential Tees, and The G Tees— as well as other t-shirt-inspired styles including dresses, skirts, tanks and rompers.
"Be Your Own T expresses the qualities that make each one of us unique through the lens of a 'T,'" said Seth Farbman, Gap's Global Chief Marketing Officer...

TGA Premier Youth Tennis will enrich the lives of youth and impact schools and community based organizations.
May 09, 2012 // Franchising.com // West Wake County, NC – It has been one year since Paul Maskill left the corporate world to launch his after-school sports program, TGA Premier Junior Golf, in West Wake County. It was so successful that he is now expanding his entrepreneurial dream and adding tennis to his offerings.
Maskill, a University of Michigan graduate, has expanded his fast growing business by acquiring one of the new TGA Premier Youth Tennis franchises to complement his golf program. A passionate tennis player himself, he will now be offering youngsters two unique after-school sports programs.
TGA Premier Youth Tennis of West Wake County will introduce children to tennis at elementary and middle schools, child care centers and community based organizations through a multi-level teaching program...

World's Largest After-School Enrichment Program Looks to Further Expand in Central Region of the US
TEANECK, N.J., May 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an economic climate where most businesses are scaling back or closing down completely, many business owners are learning the hard way what consumers consider disposable. Luckily for Kumon and other companies in the $5 billion tutoring industry, education isn't one of them.
According to the Education Industry Association, supplemental education continues to be one of the fastest-growing franchise segments. At the forefront of this growth, Kumon, the world's largest after-school enrichment program specializing in math and reading for students ranging from preschool to high school, recently announced expansion plans to further position itself as the segment leader...

Company’s Sponsorship of the Walk Now for Autism Speaks Program Continues Throughout 2012
May 07, 2012 // Franchising.com // WAYNE, NJ – Today, Toys"R"Us, Inc. announced that it raised more than $3.1 million in its stores across the U.S. and Canada during its sixth consecutive in-store and online fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization. Coinciding with Autism Awareness Month in April, Toys"R"Us® and Babies“R”Us® stores in North America, along with Toysrus.com and Toysrus.ca, encouraged customers to donate to Autism Speaks and raise awareness for the disorder. The campaign raised more than $2.4 million in the United States and an additional $700,000 in Canada...

Music-Minded Entrepreneurs to Open A Chain of New Locations in New York and Connecticut
BETHESDA, Md., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bach to Rock, America's music school for students of all ages, announced today that it has signed its first-ever franchise agreement with Amplified Capital Partners, LLC to open a chain of Bach to Rock schools in Nassau County, NY, Westchester County, NY and Fairfield County, CT. The first location is slated to open in the fall of 2012.
"At Bach to Rock, we've experienced tremendous success serving the greater Washington D.C. area, and we are excited to expand our footprint in Connecticut and New York," said Brian Gross, president of Bach to Rock. "With interest in playing music at an all-time high, we are confident that a musical hotbed like the New York metropolitan area will embrace the teaching methodology and philosophy of Bach to Rock, which is learning to play music while having fun...

Guides First Quarter EPS with Range of $0.44 to $0.46
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) today reported that net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 increased 6 percent compared with last year, and April 2012 net sales were flat compared with last year.
Net sales for the first quarter, which ended April 28, 2012, increased 6 percent to $3.49 billion compared with $3.30 billion for the first quarter last year. The company’s first quarter comparable sales, which include the associated comparable online sales, were up 4 percent compared with a 3 percent decrease in the first quarter last year.
“We delivered a solid first quarter as spring product continued to do well across all brands,” said Glenn Murphy, chairman and chief executive officer of Gap Inc...

Loss Per Share of $0.06 Compares to Loss Per Share of $0.12 Last Year


North American Comparable Store Sales Increase 3.6%


ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 3, 2012-- Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW), an interactive entertainment retailer, today reported results for the 2012 first quarter ended March 31, 2012.
First Quarter 2012 Highlights:

Consolidated net retail sales of $95.2 million represented a 1.6% increase compared to $94.2 million, in the 2011 first quarter, excluding the impact of foreign exchange;
Consolidated comparable store sales increased 1.2% and included a 3.6% increase in North America and a 10.1% decline in Europe;
Consolidated e-commerce sales rose 9...

Delaware, Inc., Toys"R"Us Property Company I, LLC, And Toys"r"us Property Company II, LLC
May 02, 2012 // Franchising.com // WAYNE, NJ – Toys"R"Us, Inc. is pleased to announce that its fourth quarter 2011 Lender Conference Call to discuss the financial results of Toys"R"Us – Delaware, Inc., Toys"R"Us Property Company I, LLC, and Toys"R"Us Property Company II, LLC has been scheduled for 3pm ET on Friday, May 4. Participation in this call is limited to lenders under Toys"R"Us – Delaware, Inc.’s term loan credit agreement dated August 24, 2010 (as amended or supplemented, including by the joinder agreements dated May 25, 2011 and April 10, 2012), and to investors and prospective investors in Toys"R"Us – Delaware, Inc...

New Infographic Examines the Industry, Trends and What's to Come
BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwire - May 1, 2012) - To celebrate their 20 years in franchising, Kiddie Academy created an infographic that examines the growth of the educational child care industry, the factors that influence the need for their services and trends to watch.
The child care industry is consistently growing as the number of working parents increases, along with their preference for higher-quality child care focused on education and early childhood development. As a result, this business is on a rapid rise, as more and more parents opt for the superior services of a child care learning center over a conventional preschool.
Some factors influencing the industry include:

More than 11 million children under the age of 5 are in some form of child care every week
58% of those children are in a center or full time preschool
The most important factors when choosing a child care are: 1...