Section 1: Country Analysis
The task at hand is to take an honest look as to the likelihood that our Jiffy Lube franchise would be able to become established and grow once established in the countries France and the United Kingdom. Given the following evidence and details about the current situations in each of these countries along with a few tidbits of information about their economies and general markets, one should be able to better understand the possibilities that lie within each country.
First we will take a look at France. Over the past few years in France, "franchise" has evolved from a concept into a truly viable economic model. For the tenth straight year, the number of franchises in France has increased steadily by 3-5 percent in 2003. That same year, 55,880 stores opened in France, 34,745 of them as franchises ? an increase from a 57.8 percent share in 2002 to 61.2 percent in 2003. The number of companies in France using franchises rose from 719 to 765 over the course of 2003, an increase of about 6.4 percent. French franchises are also exported with 179 networks located outside of France. This shows that the opportunity for a reputable franchise to become established in France is continuing to grow. The overall acceptance of American franchises is beneficial when contemplating how the community will take to a business opening shop.
The automobile sector is a prime example of the increase in franchises in France, representing 11.2 percent of franchises in France in 2003, an increase of 10.2% over 2002. Out of the 34 automotive companies in France with franchises, seven of them (or 20.6 percent) have an international presence. French franchises have not only survived the repeated economic crises of recent years, ...