Franchises In Fashion - Turkish Jewelry Chain Looks To Franchising For U.S. Expansion

Bradenton Herald:

Jemal Alagoz‘ family operates a chain of jewelry stores in his native Turkey, but he wanted to establish a retail foothold in the United States.

About 7 months ago, he and his wife, Rim, opened their first store in the U.S. - Esmer Fashion Jewelry and Accessories at Prime Outlets mall at Ellenton.

Now, they’re already expanding to Brandon and Orlando and are meeting with potential franchisees.

‘Our goal is 100 stores in 7 years,’ explained Alagoz.

It’s a route to business success that is becoming increasingly popular. Franchises cover a staggering array of businesses selling every imaginable product and service.

The franchising sector generates 18 million jobs in the United States alone and yields $1.53 trillion in economic output, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers‘ study released in 2004 by the International Franchise Association, a Washington, D.C.-based organization representing 1,200 franchise parent companies and more than 10,000 franchisees and suppliers.

Nearly 900 different concepts have been franchised in the United States during the 3 years ending in 2005, the latest year for which statistics are available, according to Terry Hill, vice president for communications with the association.