15 Mega Trends in Franchising

WITH democratisation of entrepreneurship, there has been emergence of businesses that did not exist till few years back. These businesses are premised on simple, affordable and convenient innovations that use fewer resources and are finding advantage over incumbent companies with business models that either promise lower functionality at a lower price point to the industry's less demanding customers, or find a way to turn nonconsumers into consumers.

1. Healthy and Happy Living

The need for healthy living has bought forward many new business concepts in food and wellness categories particularly like cold pressed juices; functional yoga; subscription based healthy meals to name a few.

2. Grab & Go concepts:

The timepressed consumer is becoming a lucrative market for innovative business thinkers, from retail store makeovers to e-commerce offerings to out-of-the-box catering.

3. Micro Franchising:8

Asset light business models where technology is integrated with existing Assets is the order of the day where Business Models like Uber, OLA , Yo Rooms are about bringing more sweat to existing infrastructure.

4. Online Franchising:

It is about using franchising for executing business at the last mile where concepts like Dark stores; service models like My Glamm are finding value.

5. Sports league:

Today, not just global but local sports like Kabbadi, body building are being re-packaged into sport leagues that are being franchised to create sporting and entertainment IP's.

6. Travel Retail:

Brand Stores on highways, railway stations, metros, airports have higher returns with more captive and well paying consumers.

7. Early Learning:

Early learning is becoming more objective with focused business models related to sports training, Art, science, math's etc.

8. Local specialties:

Indians are going back to their roots particularly in food and personal care with Indigenous and local specialty products making a comeback with contemporary packaging and wider distribution.

9. Organic is trending:

Rising health consciousness among the consumers in metro cities is amongst the key factors for the growth. Prior conventional foods, which involved use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is the reason for the birth of this niche segment. It has proven to be the game changer for the new age investor and a positively bizarre profitable idea.

10. On –Demand Resources

The new trend for businesses like salons or schools is to rapidly move away from direct employees towards a Business model, where stylists or specialized teachers are treated as independent contractors, rather than full-time employees bringing category specialization in a business while reducing costs and benefits payouts.

11. Co-Shared places

In co-working spaces, entrepreneurs share one big office and can benefit from a wide range of services depending on their membership, conference rooms, espresso machines or lounge. More dedicated co-working spaces are being created to match with specific demand.

12. Professional personalized services:

Services like Matchmaking, Job search, Kids counseling are shifting from generalist to specialized as people need more objective and personalized advice

13. Bespoke Tailoring

Regarded as a Ladies immature industry, it is today being seen as a premium business model catering more to men customers.

14. DIY Concepts:

Do it yourself business concepts are coming in business sectors like Laundrettes , Furniture etc which offer cheap and convenience alternatives to consumer.

15. Online to Offline:

Products that have found initial spurt in ecommerce are now building offline presence to establish their Brand recognition and loyalty.

3 STRATEGIES

That Will Change Everything We Know About Consumption So Far.

• 1. DIGITIZATION: Removes the Constraints on consumption brought by distribution at 1/3rd of the cost
• 2. INNOVATION: Differentiating through service innovation in a product marketplace.
• 3. LOCALIZATION: Business that combine their global offerings with local consumer insights will add relevance at the last mile.