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 AUSTRALIA
FRANCHISE NEWS ARCHIVE
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: : Jan-Jun 2005
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End of story for one bookseller, a new chapter for another.
One grand old Australian bookselling family helped bury another as
Dymocks bought the flagship Collins bookstore in Sydney yesterday.
.... [more]
29 Jun, 2005
McDonald's falls to Subway. The dominance of fast-food
giant McDonald's appears to be over, with sandwich maker Subway running
more outlets in Australia than the Golden Arches. .... [more]
22 Jun, 2005
Juice sector feels the squeeze. The first cracks have
started to appear in Australia's multimillion-dollar fresh juice market
after Victorian-based Juice Station entered administration. .... [more]
22 Jun, 2005
Court fines Harvey Norman franchisees. Harvey Norman
stores deliberately flouted West Australia's shopping laws by illegally
trading on Sundays as part of a campaign in support of deregulation.
.... [more]
17 Jun, 2005
Hole lotta trouble. Krispy Kreme Australia has slowed
its aggressive expansion plans as its troubled US parent sorts out
its failed Canadian business. .... [more]
14 Jun, 2005
Honour for former McDonald's chief. Charlie Bell has
been posthumously appointed an Officer (AO) in the Order of Australia
- the second highest honour available in the Queen's birthday list.
.... [more]
13 Jun, 2005
Collins to close books on stores. Collins Booksellers,
one of the country's largest book chains, will close half of its company-owned
stores in Victoria after administrators failed to secure buyers for
all of the state's 12 stores. .... [more]
9 Jun, 2005
Hard by soft patches. The franchise sector is said to
be experiencing difficulties, with an industry pioneer saying a number
of well-known systems are under financial pressure. .... [more]
7 Jun, 2005
Lap-dance franchises may have legs. Listed adult entertainment
firm Planet Platinum wants to follow in the franchise footsteps of
McDonald's and Harvey Norman. .... [more]
3 Jun, 2005
Golden arches still have the recipe for success. The
results of the 2004 Deloitte Franchisee Satisfaction Survey, conducted
for the first time and released this week, show that not all franchises
are created equal. .... [more]
3 Jun, 2005
Hog's Breath saddles-up for an Asian invasion. The Hog's
Breath Cafe franchise has signed up a master franchisee for its entry
into South-East Asia after growing its Australian store numbers to
60. .... [more]
30 May, 2005
Domino's falls the right way. When pizza chain Domino's
tried to weigh into the healthy food debate by offering a low carb,
ground wheat crust it was universally panned by consumers. .... [more]
28 May, 2005
Brazin learns to accessorise with latest acquisition.
Retailer Brazin has bolstered its stable of youth brands with the
$50.3 million acquisition of a 50 per cent stake in DCK Australia,
parent of the women's fashion accessories retailer Diva. .... [more]
27 May, 2005
Woolworths gains New Zealand footprint. Australia's
biggest supermarket chain Woolworths Ltd has seized almost half of
New Zealand's supermarket business, in a $3.4 billion carve-up of
Foodland Associated Ltd with Metcash Trading Ltd. .... [more]
25 May, 2005
Cashed-up Metcash set to carry off Foodland deal. Woolworths
is unlikely to face problems from the competition watchdog over plans
to pick up an extra 22 Australian supermarkets as part of its $2.5
billion deal for Foodland's New Zealand supermarkets. .... [more]
25 May, 2005
Sam's shell may be used for listing. The shell of Sam's
Seafood could be used to help a different company list on the stock
exchange. .... [more]
21 May, 2005
Store sales read well for Collins. At least half of
the stores owned by the cash-strapped Collins Booksellers will be
sold within weeks, after creditors accepted a legal deed to save the
company from liquidation. .... [more]
20 May, 2005
Fuel adds energy to Foodland. Australia's third-largest
grocer, Foodland Associated, has reported better-than-expected quarterly
sales as discussions continue with aggressive suitor Metcash. ....
[more]
19 May, 2005
Fat lot of difference between rolls. McDonald's was
forced to defend its newly launched range of toasted rolls yesterday
after some were exposed as having the same nutritional profile as
a Big Mac. .... [more]
17 May, 2005
Pizza chain hits ASX at 10pc premium. Australia's largest
pizza chain, Domino's Pizza, made a strong debut on the Australian
Stock Exchange, listing at a 10 cent premium to its issue price. ....
[more]
16 May, 2005
Maccas appoints fix-it man. An expert in crisis management
who has helped transform McDonald's image and sales over the past
three years has been appointed the new head of the company's Australian
operations. .... [more]
16 May, 2005
Rebel drags Harvey Norman down. Aanalysts yesterday
trimmed profit expectations for Harvey Norman in the wake of a surprise
profit downgrade from majority-owned Rebel Sport. .... [more]
14 May, 2005
Metcash close to finishing Foodland deal. Grocery wholesaler
Metcash Trading Ltd believes it is close to ending the drawn-out takeover
attempt for West Australian-based Foodland Associated Ltd. .... [more]
13 May, 2005
Domino's Pizza completes IPO. Pizza chain
Domino's Pizza has completed its initial public offer and expects
to float on the Australian Stock Exchange on May 16. .... [more]
5 May, 2005
Sam's slips below surface. Besieged
local seafood group Sam's Seafood has collapsed with more than $20
million in debts after weeks of financial turmoil and a franchise
expansion gone wrong. .... [more]
5 May, 2005
Metcash's Foodland 'knockout'. Metcash Trading yesterday
threw another $200 million at reluctant target Foodland Associated,
as it sought to reignite its six-month-old bid to build a third force
in the Australian grocery market. .... [more]
4 May, 2005
Woes extend for Sam's. Franchise, restaurant and wholesale
group Sam's Seafood is again under fire with allegations of being
unable to supply its Sunshine Coast retail shop with necessary stock.
.... [more]
2 May, 2005
Sam's Seafood in deep water. A deal between the seafood
kings of Brisbane and Sydney to create a giant company covering both
markets is on the verge of collapse, after Brisbane-based Sam's Seafood
saw its value more than halve this week. .... [more]
30 Apr, 2005
McDonald's tucks into toasted sangas. McDonald's is
billing it as the biggest innovation in fast food since the Big Mac
first slid off the griddle in the 1950s. Others will see it for what
it is: a toasted sandwich. .... [more]
29 Apr, 2005
Coffee express comes in chocolate wrapping. If youve
felt like a gourmet coffee but couldnt leave work to get one, the
solution could be at your door. .... [more]
29 Apr, 2005
Sam's Seafood flounders on resumption. Brisbane seafood
processor Sam's Seafood is striking rough seas in its franchised stores
operation, which are mainly responsible for turning a $2.5 million
profit last year into a forecast loss of $2 million this year. ....
[more]
29 Apr, 2005
7-Eleven in supply deal. National grocery and liquor
wholesaler Metcash has signed a supply contract with 7-Eleven and
its 350 franchised convenience stores across Australia. .... [more]
28 Apr, 2005
Kodak puts Crazy John's in the frame. Kodak Australasia
has by-passed the major mobile phone carriers to strike an exclusive
deal with mobile merchant Crazy John's to sell camera-mobile phones
through Kodak Express stores. .... [more]
27 Apr, 2005
Burger King sued I was misled, operator says. The operator
of the Hungry Jack's store in Kangaroo Flat is suing the American
fast-food company Burger King and its Australian subsidiary for more
than $2 million, claiming misleading and deceptive conduct. .... [more]
27 Apr, 2005
Fat profits from Sumo Salads. First it was coffee bars.
Then juice bars. Now another battle is taking shape for the stomachs
of Australian consumers - the salad-bar war. .... [more]
26 Apr, 2005
Franchise with compassion as its selling point. Growing
demand for home-based palliative care as an alternative to nursing
home care has helped an Adelaide-based business prepare to expand
nationally. .... [more]
25 Apr, 2005
Rental car market shake-up. A shake-up is looming in
the highly competitive rental car market with one of the largest players
in the country, Thrifty, on the auction block. .... [more]
25 Apr, 2005
ACCC nets franchise scammers. The consumer watchdog
has begun legal proceedings against a director and sales manager of
three IT companies for their part in a series of alleged franchising
scams that netted more than $3 million. .... [more]
20 Apr, 2005
Big Mac and fries image is proving hard to shake. Efforts
by McDonald's to shed the junk food label and recast itself as a chain
offering healthier alternatives to its staple of Big Mac and fries
appears to be failing, a brands study has found. .... [more]
18 Apr, 2005
Harvey World snaps up 22 UK travel shops. Travel agency
Harvey World Travel Ltd has snared 22 UK travel shops from competitor
Wardle Travel for an undisclosed sum. .... [more]
15 Apr, 2005
Pizza lovers miss out on a slice of the action. The
problem with pizza is if you're slow off the mark when it arrives
you miss out on a slice – and it seems the same is true of shares
in pizza floats. .... [more]
14 Apr, 2005
Harvey Norman chief upbeat despite slower sales growth.
Harvey Norman executive chairman Gerry Harvey remains upbeat about
the consumer spending outlook despite yesterday revealing softer sales
growth in the third quarter. .... [more]
14 Apr, 2005
Cash sought in fight for the supreme pizza. Domino's
Pizza and Eagle Boys - two of the top four chains in the Australian
pizza delivery market - yesterday outlined plans to tap investors
for cash to fund expansion. .... [more]
14 Apr, 2005
InterContinental lists hotels for sale. InterContinental
Hotels Group plc is to raise in excess of $400 million through the
sale and leaseback of 10 Australasian and Fijian properties. ....
[more]
5 Apr, 2005
ATM gurus try vending hire movies. Having cleaned up
in the automatic teller machine market, two Melbourne businessmen
are at it again, this time with DVD vending machines. .... [more]
21 Mar, 2005
Franchisee forced to pack up. Queensland's last Pizza
Haven franchisee is being forced to pay $875 a week in rent for an
empty shop because he can't get the ingredients to make pizzas. ....
[more]
18 Mar, 2005
Dominos considering ASX float. Australia's largest pizza
maker Domino's Pizza said it was investigating floating on the Australian
Stock Exchange. .... [more]
15 Mar, 2005
INTEREST - Retail group in tatters as states walk. The
Australian Retailers Association is in disarray after a national council
meeting last week that triggered a mass of resignations and the walk-out
of all South Australian officials. .... [more]
15 Mar, 2005
Prawn supplier may take Sam's to court. A prawn supplier
is threatening to take Queensland franchise, restaurant and shop giant
Sam's Seafood to the Federal Court for an alleged outstanding bill
of $74,010. .... [more]
11 Mar, 2005
Metcash attacks Foodland statement. Grocery wholesaler
Metcash Trading Ltd has launched another strike against takeover target
Foodland Associated Ltd, with an attack on its target's statement.
.... [more]
10 Mar, 2005
Quest nears 100 properties. Quest serviced apartments
group will add 13 properties to its Australasian franchise network
this year. .... [more]
7 Mar, 2005
Sam's in dispute over two outlets. The heavily promoted
Sam's Seafood has become embroiled in legal disputes over its flagship
restaurants while former operators of a franchise and wholesale operation
have fallen into voluntary administration. .... [more]
7 Mar, 2005
From one store to 110. Emmanuel Drivas is a founding
director and chairman of the coffee chain The Coffee Club which started
with one store in Brisbane in 1989 and now has 110 stores across the
country. .... [more]
7 Mar, 2005
Franchising: Once bitten. Some of Australia's most successful
franchisors recount the mistakes they have made in their businesses,
and the lessons learnt. .... [more]
3 Mar, 2005
Pizza price war is hell, says Aussie operator Potter.
Sixty years ago, U.S. General George Patton declared, "War is
hell." The pizza price war in Australia isn’t a whole lot
different, according to Tom Potter. .... [more]
2 Mar, 2005
Australia's Foodland rebuffs Metcash, plans split. Foodland
Associated Ltd. said on Tuesday it would spin off its New Zealand
unit as a defence against Metcash Trading Ltd.'s A$846 million bid
for its Australian business. .... [more]
1 Mar, 2005
Harvey Norman profit rises. Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd
reported an interim net profit of $101.4 million - up 7.5 per cent
for the previous corresponding period. The retailer said the opening
of new franchise stores had a positive impact on sales. .... [more]
28 Feb, 2005
ABC up 60% - acquisitions didn't do it. Shares in child-care
company ABC Learning Centres surged 5 per cent on Friday after the
business booked a 60 per cent increase in interim net profit, with
only a small contribution from its recent acquisitions. .... [more]
26 Feb, 2005
Am I making you wary? Even for someone as candid
as Gerry Harvey, it's a startling admission. Harvey Norman, the ubiquitous
- now international - retailer, has "lost its glitz". ....
[more]
26 Feb, 2005
ACCC to target franchise industry. The Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is targeting rogue operators in the
franchise industry. .... [more]
24 Feb, 2005
Chep pallets help Brambles on road to recovery. Brambles
Industries' long and tortured campaign to win back the faith of investors
was given a boost yesterday when the pallet group reported its second
consecutive half of profit growth since its disastrous 2001 merger
with GKN. .... [more]
24 Feb, 2005
INTEREST - Marketing chiefs put junk-food ads on the scales.
The food marketing industry meets today to consider a raft of measures
to combat growing levels of obesity as part of its strategy to counter
the worldwide groundswell for curbs on junk-food ads. .... [more]
17 Feb, 2005
Harvey World Travel takes off. Harvey World Travel reported
a net profit for the half year of $1.671 million. .... [more]
16 Feb, 2005
Beauty's big move as business giant. The obsession for
good looks and self esteem has catapulted a South Australian business
into the national spotlight as one of the fastest growing franchises
in the country. .... [more]
11 Feb, 2005
Brumby's investigates expansion. Brumby's Bakeries said
it was investigating expansion opportunities after the company reported
a 16 per cent increase in net profit for the first half of 2004/05.
.... [more]
10 Feb, 2005
Omaha-based elderly care company branches into Australia.
The new franchise that Home Instead Senior Care opened Feb. 1 is its
farthest location to date from its Omaha base: Brisbane, Australia.
.... [more]
10 Feb, 2005
Bean counters find coffee's their cup of tea. A meeting
between two men and their wives at a church group in Sydney was the
genesis of one the fastest-growing franchise businesses in the country.
.... [more]
8 Feb, 2005
Gym junkies turn iron into gold. The gym industry is
toned, buffed and looking good. More than four years after the Healthland
chain went bust, the "health club" sector is booming, with
new gyms being built in almost every suburb. .... [more]
5 Feb, 2005
BreakFree makes pitch to shareholders. Property and
investment group MFS Ltd said it would adopt Queensland resort and
holiday group BreakFree Ltd's rapid growth plans if a proposed merger
was successful. .... [more]
1 Feb, 2005
Syndicate takes big bite of Krispy Kreme. David Coe,
chairman of the Allco group of investment companies, is leading a
private syndicate of 10 people to make a $15million punt in doughnuts
company Krispy Kreme Australia. .... [more]
1 Feb, 2005
MFS plans $385m merger with BreakFree. BreakFree and
fellow Gold Coast company MFS will accelerate their expansion in the
resort management industry through a $385 million merger. .... [more]
28 Jan, 2005
Metcash bid for Foodland approved. Australia's competition
regulator yesterday gave the thumbs up to a proposed takeover of grocery
retailer Foodland by wholesale group Metcash. .... [more]
28 Jan, 2005
Accor takes on hotel franchising. Accor is about to
muscle in on the hotel franchise business, challenging the stalwart
Flag, Best Western and Breakfree Resort Groups on their home turf.
.... [more]
26 Jan, 2005
Metcash bid delivers it a NZ veto. Metcash Trading shareholders
will have the power to block a plan to hand ownership of Foodland
Associated's $2 billion in New Zealand assets back to Foodland shareholders.
.... [more]
24 Jan, 2005
In a growth market. Record trading during Christmas
capped off a bristling year for the Adelaide Shaving Centre in the
city. .... [more]
24 Jan, 2005
You Can Bake It to provide more info. The consumer watchdog
said You Can Bake It Franchising Pty Ltd had given court enforceable
undertakings to provide adequate information to prospective and existing
franchisees. .... [more]
18 Jan, 2005
Sales fall short of Harvey's high hopes. Harvey Norman
failed to match its own bullish sales outlook for the six months to
.... [more]
13 Jan, 2005
Things get ugly in legal bunfight. In franchise parlance,
Burger King's ubiquitous bun logo is called the "hamburger grotesque",
and its reputation among young consumers is critical, a court has
heard. .... [more]
6 Jan, 2005
Juice junkies. Australians have fallen in love with
the juice bar concept. They are willing to join the long queues at
any time of the day and pay $5 for a shot of the popular All Berry
Bang at the Boost outlet, Gomango at Pulp or Tropical at Zuba. ....
[more]
3 Jan, 2005
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