Swimart opens its 66th pool and spa care franchise in Western Sydney
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in franchising this year, Swimart has now opened its 66th at Winston Hills in Sydney, which is co-owned by experienced operators John and Tony Arbidans and Daniel Bow.
Swimart Winston Hills is the second franchise for the Arbidans, who own the Baulkham Hills store. They join four other existing franchisees who own two stores in the Swimart network.
"Franchisees are starting to realise that they can quickly expand their business through the acquisition of underperforming stores and applying the Swimart franchise model,"says Swimart national manager Chris Fitzmaurice.
"It makes a lot of sense for certain franchisees to purchase a second store. For example, if they buy close to their existing store or within the same area, there is the opportunity to merge / consolidate many of their day-to-day activities - such as servicing all clients from one location.
"Economies of scale can be achieved, and it doesn’t necessarily mean duplicating operational costs, which ultimately means profitability can increase exponentially."
Rebranding exercise
The co-owners purchased an underperforming independent store in Winston Hills and rebranded it to Swimart. The generous rebranding financial package that Swimart offers to its franchisees who wish to expand their network was a strong also incentive.
"The package was very attractive and having financial backup allowed us to move quickly, which secured the sale for us," explains Tony.
Tony explains that running the Baulkham Hills pool and spa care franchise means they know the business are have already got a proven, successful strategy in place.
"We have economies of scale and are replicating operating procedures and streamlining operations. Swimart paid for all the legal fees in the purchase of the store; it also provided funds upfront to rebrand the store to Swimart - plus Swimart pays for a local marketing campaign to create instant awareness."
Swimart has been offering a great deal for independent pool stores wishing to join the Swimart franchise, and now this deal has been extended to existing franchisees wanting to purchase another store.
"Many independents are struggling due to the past two poor seasons, rising costs and diminishing profitability, so it can make sense for existing Swimart franchisees to do what a couple of existing franchisees have done and purchase an independent store and rebrand it," says Fitzmaurice.
"Acquiring an independent store delivers instant customers, cash flow and, in many cases, additional profits. With the backing of a national TV advertising campaign, franchisees can leverage the Swimart brand to fast track sales growth from these independent stores."
