Big retail names are part of the franchise landscape in Australia, giving customer-oriented entrepreneurs the chance to tap into established brands.

According to retailcouncil.com.au Australia’s retail sector contributes, directly and indirectly, about $134 billion to the national economy. That’s eight per cent of total economic activity conducted across 127,000 retailers across the country – that is six per cent of all businesses.

Despite the challenges of retailing in an omnichannel world, with Covid, supply chain and staffing concerns, retail remains a popular business model.

Household name retail franchises

So who are the big brand retailers who franchise?

For starters, 7-Eleven, IGA and Spar for convenience.

Amber, Barbeques Galore, Bedshed, Howards Storage World, Luxaflex and Mitre 10 are among the stores catering for household needs.

Think Clark Rubber, Dymocks, PetStock, Poolwerx, WH Smith for entertainment and hobbies.

For day to day admin and services Australia Post, Battery World, Chemist Warehouse, Fone King, Mister Minit franchises are on hand.

On a personal level, Hairhouse, Just Cuts, OPSM, Price Attack, Priceline, Specsavers, Terry White Chemmart and The Athlete’s Foot step up to deliver key services.

These are just some of the well-known retail franchises fronting our high streets and shopping centres. In some cases all of the stores in a network are franchised outlets.

Servicing professional customers

Then there are the secret successes, the brands that hold a premium spot in their own niche, the business-to-business market.

Here are three examples: the mechanics’ favourite, Snap-on Tools; the tradies best resource Total Tools, and branding retailer Fully Promoted.

Innovation is crucial in retail

It has never been more important to keep innovating. Some of the household name retail franchises mentioned here have reinvigorated their brands with fresh takes on retailing.

7-Eleven in particular has been relentless in striving for optimum performance and customer engagement through clever use of technology.

Barbeques Galore has taken an experiential approach to its store layout and merchandising while The Athlete’s Foot embraces the digital world. The footwear chain become the first Australian retailer to launch a game on the popular app Roblox.

Read about these brands, and find more franchise retailers here.