Retail Franchise Industry News & Announcements

The First and Only Franchisor of LED Lighting in North America Celebrates Strong Growth, Prepares For Future at Company Conference
May 25, 2012 // Franchising.com // Orlando, FL - LED Source® franchisees from all over the U.S. and Canada gathered together last week for the company’s 2012 Training Conference, held May 17-19 in Orlando. More than 40 LED Source franchise owners, vendors and corporate staff members attended the first-ever training conference led by president and CEO Marcel Fairbairn. The event presented an opportunity for franchisees to network, share ideas and get equipped with the necessary tools to improve business operations and boost sales.
“In the LED business, we are one of the few companies to have cracked the code on successfully offering retrofit solutions, and the goal of the conference was to pass that insight to our franchisees and their employees,” Fairbairn said...

Tour Off to Great Start Celebrating Service Technicians as "Masters of Their Trade"
KENOSHA, Wis., May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - The Snap-on Masters of Metal Tour™ is off to an impressive start as it showcases the latest and greatest Snap-on® tools and equipment to throngs of Snap-onnation members in venues coast-to-coast.
"The Snap-on Masters of Metal Tour has been a resounding success as we have seen many events drawing long lines of Snap-oncustomers waiting to tour the interactive trailer," said Yvette Morrison, vice president of marketing, Snap-on Tools Group. "Adding hands-on features to the tour has taken an already impressive event to another level."
Featuring customized mobile units full of the latest and greatest Snap-on tool offerings, the SNAP-ON MASTERS OF METAL TOUR is an interactive tour that celebrates automotive service technicians as the "masters of their trade...

ST. LOUIS - (BUSINESS WIRE) - May. 24, 2012 - Build-A-Bear Workshop®, the interactive entertainment retailer of customized stuffed animals, introduces the new Under the Sea collection including Splish Splash Seahorse ($18), Deep Blue Sea Bear ($20), Coral Beach Bunny ($20), Oodles of Fun Octopus ($22), and Travelin’ Sea Turtle ($22). To celebrate the arrival of these furry friends on June 1, Guests can enter for a chance to win the Trip to BEARadise Sweepstakes, which includes a Beaches Resorts Luxury Included® Vacation to enjoy family fun set along the Caribbean sea, with airfare provided by Delta Vacations. In honor of the company’s 15th birthday, 15 families will get to experience the Caribbean vacation of a lifetime at Beaches Resorts; 12 in the United States, one in Canada and two in the United Kingdom and Ireland...

May 24, 2012 // Franchising.com // ST. LOUIS  - Build-A-Bear Workshop, the leading and only international company providing a “make your own stuffed animal” interactive retail-entertainment experience, announced today that it will debut its first newly remodeled store to open in September in St. Louis at West County Center.
Over two years in the making, the store will have a fresh modern look and offer new experiences and innovative features that will take the company’s signature bear-making process to a whole new level. A group of “Cub Advisors”, area children and their parents, has also been actively involved in the design and testing for the new store. The company plans to open six of the newly designed stores across the country in 2012...

Fans Encouraged to "Sip Up Summer" by Capturing and Sharing Summer-Filtered Photos with the Caribou Community
MINNEAPOLIS, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Caribou Coffee Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOU) today launched a photo contest that will display summer pictures on both Facebook and Instagram. The contest invites fun-loving fans to submit pictures of colorful and sun-filled summer moments with their Caribou beverages – whether it's a lazy day at the beach, a picnic with friends or relaxing on the lake – for a chance to win great summer prizes.
The "Sip Up Summer" Facebook Photo Contest was created to celebrate the launch of Caribou Coffee's new sparkling teas and juices made with all natural ingredients– including Green Tea Lemonade, Peach Black Tea, Lemon Ginger Pomegranate Juice, Berry Black Tea, Mint Lime White Tea, Very Berry Juice – which are now available in all Caribou Coffee locations...

Jacksonville, Miami, and Southern Virginia Centers Add to Nationwide Expansion
OWINGS MILLS, Md., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Medifast, Inc. (NYSE: MED) announces the grand openings of eleven Medifast Weight Control Centers in three new markets: Jacksonville, Miami, and Southern Virginia. For more information and to find the nearest Medifast Weight Control Center, log onto http://www.medifastcenters.com or call 1-888-Y-MEDIFAST.
Four Centers opened in Jacksonville, two Centers in Miami, and five Centers in Southern Virginia from February through May 2012. The Southern Virginia Centers are located in Chesapeake, Newport News, Richmond, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg.
"Our focus is on opening new Medifast Weight Control Centers in strong markets, and Jacksonville, Miami, and Southern Virginia offer that opportunity...

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company uses Reflection LEDko in Grapes of Wrath
May 23, 2012 // Franchising.com // Wellington, FL - Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) of Ohio, who was named the grand prize winner of the LED Source® and Coemar LEDko Challenge contest, debuted their Reflection LEDko prize package in the production of the Grapes of Wrath. For CSC, power outages and outdated stage lighting are now a thing of the past. The new LEDko fixtures will also ensure that the Company’s education outreach program will continue to help more than 20,000 theater students every year.
CSC was among the top five finalists in the LEDko Challenge contest and was chosen from more than 7000 votes as the winner by fans on the Facebook Reflection LEDko page...

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...

May 23, 2012 // Franchising.com // According to the latest results released by topfranchise.com.au, bedding retailer Snooze has firmed up its ranking as one of Australia’s most desired franchised businesses, leaping up the overall top 10 rankings table from nine to six.
The recent survey was voted for by over 2,000 Australian franchise owners across a range of categories taking into account areas such as support, expansion, lifestyle, passion and referrals.
Managing Director Simon Beaty is thrilled with Snooze’s performance, attributing its improved ranking to a consistent commitment to its franchise partner support and mentorship programs as a top priority for the business.“At Snooze we continually strive to provide best practice support to our franchise partners as they are the lifeblood of our business – without them, we’re nothing...

Survey: Belief Is Strong That Other Small Businesses Make the Best Partners
SAN DIEGO - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Most small business owners want to work with other small business owners who best understand their complex needs, according to a survey recently conducted by The UPS Store ®franchise network in recognition of National Small Business Week.
Almost 75 percent of survey respondents say it is important to have support from a business resource who understands their issues because they, too, are a small business owner. Yet, only 52 percent of small business owners currently work with such a resource.
“Every small business owner faces his or her own unique set of daily challenges,” said Stuart Mathis, president of The UPS Store franchise network...

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...

May 21, 2012 // Franchising.com // Highland, Ind. - Highland-area residents have another option for purchasing used cars now that J.D. Byrider has opened a store at 9301 Indianapolis Blvd. The location is the 13th J.D. Byrider dealership in Indiana.
In his new location, franchisee Roger Swierbut and his team will provide dependable automobiles to customers who may not have optimal credit histories. “We look forward to serving Highland-area residents who are in need of quality cars with affordable financing,” said Swierbut. “With our 24-month/24,000-mile warranty and exceptional customer service center, we will strive to meet the needs of this great market."
In addition to the new Highland location, J.D. Byrider opened new stores in Richmond, Va...

DALLAS, May 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- After shattering both its international and domestic store growth records last year, 7-Eleven, Inc. is in line to have an even bigger year in 2012. The world's largest retailer by units added more than 4,600 stores worldwide in 2011 and plans to continue the company's accelerated growth.
Some 600 additional stores were built, acquired or transitioned from another business to the 7-Eleven® brand in the United States and Canada alone during 2011. This year, 7-Eleven's goal is to exceed that number by adding at least 630 new stores to its U.S. and Canada roster by year end.
Since 2003, 7-Eleven has almost doubled its global store count, from 25,000 to more than 46,000. Today, a new 7-Eleven store opens somewhere in the world approximately every two hours...

May 21, 2012 // Franchising.com // Leading greeting card publisher and franchisor, Card Connection, has today announced its franchisee for Leeds, Brian Spilman, has extended his territory to include Burnley, Blackburn, Preston and Blackpool. This major expansion, which effectively doubles the size of his franchise region, now sees Brian Spilman and his team supplying Card Connection’s extensive range of quality greeting cards and gifts to 270 stores in the North West.
Card Connection’s franchisees hand pick and deliver greeting cards from a range of 1,500 innovative designs including: Santé, humour, handmade and special occasions cards. Using a proven system, franchisees place greeting card ranges in retail outlets on a ‘consignment’ basis...

Backyard Bird Feeding and Nature Specialty Franchise Puts Underserved Children in Touch with Nature
May 18, 2012 // Franchising.com // Carmel, Ind. – The average young person spends more than 53 hours per week connected to electronic media – more absorbed in the digital world than the natural world – and Wild Birds Unlimited and the National Audubon Society are taking action.
For the sixth consecutive year, Wild Birds Unlimited, the original and largest franchise system of backyard bird feeding and nature specialty stores, and Audubon, a more than 100 year-old conservation organization, have partnered to provide scholarships to underserved children attending National Audubon Society summer camps nationwide. Wild Birds Unlimited Pathways To Nature for Kids allows young people to connect with nature and gain a desire to preserve it for future generations...

New Company Fills Niche for Empowering the Mobility-Challenged in Dallas/Fort Worth
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) May 17, 2012 - Gordon and Jennifer Raney of Dallas are the owners/operators of 101 Mobility’s latest Texas Franchise serving the Greater Dallas and Fort Worth Metroplex. 101 Mobility Dallas/Fort Worth will join the Austin, Houston, and San Antonio franchises in a recent string of 101 Mobility openings across the Lone Star State.
The Raneys bring with them years of experience in corporate America. Jennifer Raney formerly worked in sales and marketing for brands such as Rubbermaid and Deloitte; Gordon Raney in corporate finance and commercial real estate, with names like PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Invesco, respectively. Both are graduates of Tulane University, and met while pursuing their undergraduate degrees in accounting and finance...

Snap-on Father's Day Gift Guide Offers Popular Tools at Special Prices
KENOSHA, Wis., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- If you want to give Dad a Father's Day gift that he wants, really needs and you know will last, give him the gift of Snap-on. From hand tools and power tools to an assortment of specialty tools and tool storage units, the Snap-on Father's Day Gift Guide has an array of gift ideas for Dad.
"Our Snap-on Father's Day Gift Guide has a wide selection of tools available at special prices," said Gerry Beronja, director of customer marketing for Snap-on. "This is the perfect opportunity to get Dad that Snap-on tool he's been hoping for or treat yourself to the Snap-on item on your wish list. You'll need to act fast as our Father's Day pricing ends June 30...

G.I. Jobs Magazine Names Flip Flop Shops to Its Prestigious 2012 List of Military Friendly Franchises®; North America’s Leading Flip Flop and Sandal Retailer Ranks in the Top 10 Percent of All Franchises Nationwide
May 17, 2012 // Franchising.com // ATLANTA – Flip Flop Shops, North America’s first retail chain exclusive to the hottest brands and latest styles of flip flops and sandals, has been named a top Military Friendly Franchise® by G.I. Jobs magazine for 2012.
The magazine’s prestigious Military Friendly Franchises® list identifies franchises that demonstrate the best practices in recruiting military members as franchisees. This honor ranks Flip Flop Shops in the top 10 percent of all franchises nationwide...

MINNEAPOLIS - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Regis Corporation (NYSE:RGS) (“Regis”), the global leader in the $160 billion hair care industry, today announced that it is in discussions with Daniel Beltzman, Managing Member of Birch Run Capital, LLC (“Birch Run”), regarding the potential for Mr. Beltzman to be included on the Company’s ballot for election to the Regis Board of Directors at the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Birch Run and its affiliates own approximately 10.4% of the outstanding shares of Regis.
“We are pleased with the recent activity at Regis, including the agreement to sell the Company’s minority ownership interest in Provalliance and our efforts to increase customer traffic and improve customer experiences,” said Joel Conner, independent Chairman of the Board...