Concept:
Homewares – specifically for the bedroom & bathroom
Territory:
Australia
Training Provided:
4 weeks
Marketing Support:
Catalogues, point of sale material, merchandisers, branding, local marketing support
Agreement Term:
5 + 5
Number Of Units:
30
Investment Required:
$250,000 – $300,000
Business Established:
1990
Franchising Commenced:
2000
Qualifications Required:
No formal qualifications necessary. Previous management experience, good communication skills and a passion for hard work are required.
About Holy Sheet
Sheet happens!
holySheet! enjoys a unique positioning as the leader in bedroom and bathroom homewares for the more fashion conscious urban market segment in Australia. holySheet! has already built up the volume to produce a majority of their own designed products to cater to this growing market, with stores already in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
HISTORY
holySheet! was started in 1990 by Danny Hochberg & Edmund George. Danny & Edmund
went to university together and met through the same marketing course. They saw
an opportunity in the local Sydney market and the first store was opened in King
St, Newtown.
In 1992 they opened a kitchenware store next to their holySheet! outlet. This
time they bought a franchise (House), rather than start the concept from
scratch. It was the first House store to be opened in NSW. Danny & Edmund went
on to become the state managers for House, finding franchisees and sites,
opening shops and supporting the stores in NSW. In 1997 they sold their last
House store to concentrate on holySheet! In 2000 the holySheet! franchise was
launched and the first franchisee came on board.
STORES
There are now 27 stores franchise outlets and one company store in Australia as
well as two outlets in New Zealand. The target of 80 stores nationally is now
well in sight. holySheet! site selection is very specific in each city and
correlates with the concentration of the target audience. We operate in shopping
centres, bulky goods and strip locations that match the demographic criteria.
TRAINING
New franchisees receive 2 weeks training at holySheet! Support Office in Sydney
- followed by two weeks in-store training. Site selection, lease negotiation,
fit-out design and installation, opening stock ordering and staff training are
done by the franchisor to ensure a smooth store opening. For the first two weeks
of trade, a senior support staff member is in store with you - providing further
training to you and your new staff. For the first 3 months of trade, support
staff will visit fortnightly. Thereafter support visits fall into a six week
cycle - unless more frequent support is deemed necessary.
COMMUNICATION
Franchisees meet twice a year at national conferences to discuss operational
issues with the franchisor. Daily communication occurs via email and enewsletter.
All stores’ Point of Sales systems are linked for communication purposes. The
POS software also provides a powerful product performance, loyalty program and
sales auditing system. Products are divided into 15 super categories and
performance is monitored by both category and product, to ensure maximum
utilization of retail space. Product performance across the group is critically
analysed by the buying office to determine stock ranging.
MARKETING
holySheet! has a 3 pronged marketing strategy based on:
- Bringing in new customers (monthly specials, press ads, digital signage,
brochures)
- Retaining existing customers (VIP loyalty program, VIP email, direct mail,
rebate system)
- Building brand awareness (brand advertising , PR)
Many of these marketing initiatives are organised by the franchisor and paid for
through a monthly advertising levy. The key feature of our marketing strategy is
the strength of our customer loyalty program, with over 200,000 members in
Australia.
SERVICES
holySheet! encourages a strong service culture within the business. This is
based on delivering the promise of the brand. Motivated and knowledgeable sales
assistants are the key. Franchisees are helped in meeting these service
standards through a series of staff incentive programs (motivation) and modular
training courses (knowledge), that are repeated regularly and cover all aspects
of retail operations - from sales techniques to merchandising the store.
WHAT DO WE WANT?
We sell to an affluent, fashion conscious consumer - change is a constant - new
product, new seasons, new colours.- You must be able to embrace change. Our franchisees must thrive on dealing
with people - going the extra step in providing them with solutions - you must
be able to sell.
- Leadership is a key element - you have to have shown you can lead a team
successfully.
- Hard work - retail is seven days and the buck stops with you! We give you the
tools to succeed, but only your hard work and dedication to the business will
make it happen.
- Team player - you have to be a team player, someone who can work harmoniously
with others to achieve a common goal.
- Self starter - you must be self motivated to succeed.
- Decision maker - you must be able to act decisively when needed.
- Ambitious - we want franchisees who are goal driven and will not accept
mediocrity.
- Minimum $250,000 in capital needed
If you've got these attributes - you'll fit right in to the holySheet family!