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Co-op Group’s first-half loss widens to £45 million
23/09/2026Costs rise despite a stronger balance sheet Underlying costs increased 2% across the half, after the group absorbed £78 million of additional headwinds, including higher employer National Insurance contributions, a rise carried by operators across the food and drink franchises…
How to write a business plan in the UK 2026
21/09/2026The UK has no franchise disclosure document. No statute requires a franchisor to hand over audited figures, and no regulator checks what it does hand over. That makes the business plan the only place where the numbers are tested before…
Mothercare warns on solvency as Middle East partner closes stores
21/09/2026Mothercare has told the market its longer-term solvency is highly uncertain, after its leading Middle East franchise partner said it expects to close the substantial majority of its Mothercare stores during 2027. The AIM-listed company, which holds no shops of…
What Is a Franchise? A UK Guide to How Franchising Works
04/09/2026The British Franchise Association's 2024 National Franchise Survey put the sector's contribution to the UK economy at £19.1 billion across 1,009 systems and 50,421 units. Unlike France or the United States, the UK has no franchise-specific statute. This guide sets…
Caffè Nero owner posts record £670m sales
03/09/2026The Nero Group, owner of Caffè Nero, posted record sales of £670 million for the year to 31 May 2026, up 8% on the previous year, as its core coffee brand delivered like-for-like growth of 4.5%. The group opened 72…
Bunsik opens in Coventry and Birmingham, its first Midlands sites
03/09/2026Korean street food chain Bunsik will open two Midlands sites this autumn, in Coventry this month and at Birmingham's Bullring in October, extending its franchise partnership with ZK Group after the operator's earlier launch in Plymouth. The Midlands debut continues…
Raising Cane’s to open first UK restaurant in London
03/09/2026Raising Cane's, the American chicken fingers chain that has overtaken KFC to become the third-largest chicken restaurant business in the United States, has confirmed its first UK restaurant will open in Piccadilly Circus in late 2026. The London flagship will…
Belhaven increases investment following launch of franchise model
13/01/2026The brewery business Belhaven has confirmed a fourfold increase in investment in 2025 following the launch of its pub franchise models amid concerns about rising business rates. A franchise model gaining momentum Almost £5 million was invested in its Scottish…
Greggs opens its 600th franchise outlet
08/01/2026Greggs has opened its 600th franchise outlet in the UK as it seeks to grow the business to capitalise on increasing consumer demand. The 600th outlet is in Stonecross Services in Bexwell with franchise partner Motor Fuel Group (MFG). Greggs…
Paris Baguette opens 700th store in London’s Westfield
03/12/2025Paris Baguette, the global bakery-café franchise, is adding a new location in Westfield, West London, expanding its global store count to 700. The Westfield store is Paris Baguette's second franchise store in the UK as it seeks to expand into…
