Apricot Lane vs Christmas Decor Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Apricot Lane vs Christmas Decor including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Apricot Lane Franchise
Christmas Decor Franchise
Investment $137,150 - $361,800$19,550 - $62,250
Franchise Fee $39,500$11,400 - $31,500
Royalty Fee 5.5%5%
Advertising Fee -1%
Year Founded 19911986
Year Franchised 20041996
Term Of Agreement 10 years5 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years5 years
Renewal Fee -$2K


Business Experience Requirements

 
Apricot Lane Franchise
Christmas Decor Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options

 
Apricot Lane Franchise
Christmas Decor Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/NoYes/No
Start-up Costs No/NoNo/No
Equipment No/NoNo/No
Inventory No/NoNo/No
Receivables No/NoNo/No
Payroll No/NoNo/No

Training & Support

 
Apricot Lane Franchise
Christmas Decor Franchise
Training - Classroom Training: 36 hours Additional Training: Regional training
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesNewsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Online Support Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing -Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing
Operations

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 5 - 5

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Franchise can be run from home.

Absentee Ownership Allowed

Number of Employees Required to Run: 4


Expansion Plans

 
Apricot Lane Franchise
Christmas Decor Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion NoYes
International Expansion NoYes

Company Overviews

About Apricot Lane

Our Apricot Lane specialty retail stores are part of a Country Visions retail franchise system that specializes in unique gifts, fashion accessories and home decor products. When you join the Country Visions franchise system, you will benefit from one of the most advanced operational systems in the nation. You will gain access to extensive networking resources, including preferred national vendors who offer our stores volume discounts and exclusive products; marketing support from our in-house advertising; state-of-the-art point of sale, inventory management and computer support systems; and national franchise conventions for direct franchise networking and training. You will also be trained by our professional staff at our Country Visions University in visual merchandising, pricing strategies, customer service, marketing and computer systems, as well as employee motivation and development.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of your first COUNTRY VISIONS store is $137,150 to $361,800 for a start-up store. This includes $37,500 to $49,300 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of your second and each subsequent COUNTRY VISIONS store is $112,650 to $337,300 for a start-up store. This includes $18,000 to $24,800 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.

About Christmas Decor

Christmas Decor offers individuals and businesses the ability to generate significant revenues during a time that is traditionally slow for many seasonal businesses. The Christmas Decor franchise opportunity provides seasonal businesses the ability to offset their fixed overhead costs and maintain their key employees all year around. They cross sell Christmas decorating services to their existing customer base, while generating new customers with the convenience of our services. The majority of our almost 400 franchisees nationally were operating a seasonal business when they came to Christmas Decor. They had no prior decorating experience, but they understood what it means to work hard to grow a successful business. Each one found that Christmas Decor was the perfect seasonal business to expand their revenues. When it comes to Christmas lighting and decorating, Christmas Decor has established itself as the brand of choice by tens of thousands of customers across the nation. We have successfully differentiated our franchise by not only creating a national brand, but by making that brand represent the highest level of service, dependability, and value. We have taken a seemingly simple concept, and through enhanced service and product deliverables, created a reputation that has fueled the growth of our franchisee system. At the core of Christmas Decor is experienced leadership, staff, and a national network of franchisees that share passion for the business.

Veteran Incentives  $1,500 inventory/equipment credit