Flower & Gift Franchises

The Best Flowers, Cards and Gifts Franchise Opportunities

If there is one retail sector that will never go out of demand, it is flowers, gifts and cards. Flowers and cards franchises can often be run from home as an internet based business, or can be run from a storefront retail premises. This type of business is usually considered recession proof too, meaning you’ll continue to thrive during times of economic stress, or during a health pandemic.

The UK celebrates more events now than ever before, and it is common for families and friends to exchange cards and gifts at Christmas, Birthday and Anniversaries. It is card, gift and flower businesses which thrive during these times and franchises will benefit from year-round demand.

What is a Gift and Flower Franchise? What are personalised gift franchises?

A franchise is a business which has proven to be successful, and the franchisor has made the decision to expand the business through franchising. Gift shop franchises and greeting card businesses will franchise out the rights to trade as their brand, business model and system of operation to entrepreneurs who will become known as franchisees.

When you invest in a franchise, you’ll usually get full training and support. For the investment, you’ll also get initial starting stock of customisable products or cards, depending on the type of franchise you’re investing in.

Depending on the type of business model, franchises can either be run from home or as a storefront business. Many retail businesses are adopting a kiosk approach, combining prominence with affordability. Kiosk franchises are stand setups typically seen in malls and transport hubs, where a temporary establishment is positioned on a courtyard or floor and products are on display. You don’t need a premises for this as kiosks will usually be fitted out by the franchisor’s suppliers/partners. You will need to negotiate premises / land usage and the franchisor can usually help with that.

What Types of Gift and Flower Franchises Are Available?

The flowers, gifts and cards sector is big. Many types of these franchises can be run either from home – operating as an online gift delivery franchise or as a retail business. Some of the best types of franchises include:

Greetings Card Franchises

Greeting card businesses will often take the form of a storefront premises either on a highstreet or mall. Despite the rise of online card companies such as Moonpig, competition for affordable price booms and usually a trip to the mall or highstreet works out cheaper. However a wider variety of cards including customisation can be found online. This makes both storefront and internet based greeting card franchises equally as popular.

Flower and Gift Franchises

Customised roses and gifts are becoming more and more popular across the UK. Some people can find it difficult choosing the right gift for a friend or relative- we all know one family member that is impossible when it comes to buying the right gifts. If there is one thing that really reaches their heart, it is a personalised gift. Be it a personalised box of chocolates, bouquet of flowers or a gift hamper. Gift franchises are steadily taking off, and now is a great time to invest as more and more people shop online. Gift franchisees can benefit from demand both in-store and online.

How Much Do Flower and Gift Franchises Cost?

The cost with setting up a franchise will vary. If the business is home based, costs may be as low as £10,000. Remember that many banks favour franchises and can usually help you with the cost of the investment. This can be up to 70%. Running a home based card or gift business may or may not require stock. It may involve working with your franchisors suppliers rather than prepping and shipping the products yourself, keeping overheads fantastically low.

If running a kiosk or retail business, setup costs will usually be from around £50,000 for the former and £150,000 for the latter. Whichever option you choose, you’ll need to set aside working capital to cover business running costs and expenses (such as maintaining ongoing stock) until you start profiting.