FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Embargoed: 1am, Tuesday 29 December 2008
Bakers Delight prepares for surge in franchise enquiries
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Australia’s most successful bakery franchise to recruit 150 new franchisees in 2010 -
Bakers Delight is preparing itself for an influx of franchise enquiries in the New Year, as it predicts the effects of the financial
crisis will encourage people to start their own business in 2010.
Australia’s most successful bakery franchise plans to recruit 150 franchisees across new and existing sites with opportunities
available in all states and territories as well as in New Zealand and Canada, where the company trades under COBS Bread.
Roger Gillespie, co-founder and CEO of Bakers Delight, said franchise enquiries were traditionally high in the first quarter of the
year, but he expected this to increase significantly in 2010, on the back of the GFC.
“Owning your own business is the new Australian dream for a large number of Australians who want to take control of their own
destiny and pursue self employment,” Roger said. “The holiday season is typically a time when people reassess their options
and the economic crisis has made evaluating the future more top of mind than ever.”
The attractive prospect of operating your own business was highlighted in a recent survey by St.George Bank that found around
five million Australians are attracted to the idea of starting their own business due to the flexible working arrangements they
believe it offers or simply because they want to be their own boss.
Bakers Delight’s proven business model, remained strong during the downturn. This was further recognised by the company’s
recent ranking as the sixth top performing franchise
in the industry and the largest, during an
independent survey recently
Bakers Delight was commended for its strong brand perception, the operational support it provides franchisees
and most
importantly its return on investment (ROI) when compared to the industry.
The most standout result, however, was Bakers Delight’s brand recognition. A massive 94 per cent of franchisees agreed
Bakers Delight is a well recognised brand, compared to the industry average of just 56 per cent.
Additionally, 96 per cent of
franchisees agreed they are passionate about their product, exceeding the industry by 10 percent.
Ian Krawitz, Head of Intelligence at 10 Thousand Feet and topfranchise.com.au said “As the number of franchisees grow in an
organisation it is often challenging to keep all parties aligned. In the Top Franchise overall satisfaction ratings Bakers Delight is
the largest franchise system (by number of Australian based locations) to make the top ten. Furthermore Bakers Delight has
achieved outstanding results in the support of their franchisees, which has been a significant reason for them being able to keep
such a large group of business owners satisfied.”
Furthermore, when it came to operational support Bakers Delight again exceeded the industry average
by 12
per cent
with
franchisees learning valuable processes from the franchisor
and 16 per cent when it came to providing tailored support
to
franchisees wanting to take on multiple units. Additionally, Bakers Delight outperformed the industry by 9 per cent when it came
to providing good training to franchisees.
“It is great to see that our franchisees get so much value from the way we operate and the proven business model established
over the past 29 years of operation. These results confirm we’re on the right track, which is very encouraging,” Roger said.
Prospective franchisees can source further information and the opportunity to speak to existing franchisees by contacting
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Notes to editors:
topfranchise.com.au is a free service, supported by subscription fees paid by franchisors. It allows users to benchmark franchisors against
average industry performance in each category and provides links to franchisor websites, news articles, video profiles & testimonials.
Ratings in each category will be updated quarterly, based on the results of strategic marketing intelligence company, 10 Thousand Feet’s
ongoing Franchisee Satisfaction Surveys.
For further information, survey results, images or interviews:
Gillian Yeap
Keep Left Public Relations
Tel: 03 9510 3910
Mob: 0422 422 969
Email: gillian@keepleftpr.com.au
About Bakers Delight:
Bakers Delight, Australia’s most successful bakery franchise, was established in 1980 as a single bakery on Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn, Melbourne. An
Australian owned company, Bakers Delight boasts over 700 bakeries employing more than 15,000 people, serving 2.5 million regular customers per week
throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
Bakers Delight has been a major corporate partner of Breast Cancer Network Australia for nine years, raising almost $3.7 million within this time. Through
its bakery network, the company donates approximately $143 million in bread to charities each year. In 2009, Bakers Delight
was recognised for its
commitment to community, health and environmental practices taking out the Franchise Council of Australia ‘Franchisor Social Responsibility Award.’
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