American Freight
Furniture, mattresses, appliances- 2023 Franchise 500 Rank
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#492 Not ranked last year
- Initial investment
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$497K - $943K
- Units as of 2022
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367 113.4% over 3 years
Whether a new sofa, mattress, or other type of furniture, we may all love shopping for brands that match our styles, comfort, and budget. American Freight strives to help customers find quality furniture that makes sitting, sleeping, and eating enjoyable.
American Freight was founded in 1994 and operates with the intention to give customers whatever their hearts and homes desire. They may offer deals on mattresses, sofas, dining tables, appliances, and more. Customers might appreciate American Freight’s range of new products and the discounts that help them save. Their flexible ‘take-home today’ payment option is a service that is in place to give customers value for their finances.
American Freight began franchising in 2020 and is seeking to add franchisees to its repertoire. There are over 300 company-owned American Freight locations, which may represent the reach that it has.
Why You May Want To Start An American Freight Franchise?
If you love the adventure of shopping and helping others, then opening an American Freight franchise might be an exciting opportunity for you. American Freight believes that selling the 'best for less' is a rewarding mission and each store strives to give customers the best deals in the market.
Potential franchisees are individuals who can connect with customers and help them find furniture that works for them. Experience working in the retail industry isn’t necessary, but some experience in sales may be highly beneficial.
Under the American Freight umbrella, franchisees will most likely be expected to run their units efficiently and satisfy customers with brands they may have come to know and love.
What Might Make An American Freight Franchise A Good Choice?
American Freight wants customers to feel as though they are improving their quality of life through the purchases they make. That is why they sell quality items for discounted prices. They believe this has helped them to build a sound reputation among customers.
Between the customer, industry, and strategy, opening an American Freight franchise may offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand.
American Freight’s business model has survived for several decades, which may prove its resilience. Anyone who sits, sleeps, and eats could potentially use American Freight products, which may give franchisees a large sector of customers with which to work.
To be part of the American Freight franchise team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.
How To Open An American Freight Franchise
Make sure to research the brand and your local area to see if American Freight would do well in your community. You may want to consider population and competition when doing so. Competition can be healthy, but too much may hinder your location’s growth.
Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence. You may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the American Freight franchising team questions. Ask questions about the "take it home today" program, how to promote locally, and the responsibilities on the sales floor.
If you still want to open an American Freight franchise and are awarded one, American Freight typically offers a great deal of support. In addition to pre-opening training, franchisees receive support through brand awareness, marketing, research, and construction. They also receive hands-on training and continued support after their units have opened.
Company Overview
About American Freight
| Industry | Retail |
|---|---|
| Related Categories | Furniture & Appliances, Miscellaneous Retail Businesses |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Parent Company | American Freight |
| Leadership | Terry McGee, VP of Franchise Development |
| Corporate Address |
109 Innovation Ct., #J Delaware, OH 43015 |
| Social | Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube |
More from American Freight
THE FRANCHISE FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE MAKING MONEY
American Freight Furniture, Mattress and Appliance, the leading nationwide retailer of furniture, mattresses and appliances at discounted prices, has made a name for itself in the franchise industry since introducing its program in 2020. The company has already earned recognition from Entrepreneur magazine as a 2022 Fastest Growing Franchise, 2022 and 2023 Top New and Emerging Franchise and was ranked in the publication’s annual Franchise 500.
But what makes this franchise opportunity different?
- Highly scalable: There are still more than 600 prime territories available for multi-unit development, and American Freight’s turnkey operations will allow franchise owners to scale quickly while overseeing multiple locations.
- Simple to build: The initial investment isn’t spent on building out a fancy store. It’s spent on putting product into the “no frills, no fluff” warehouse-style store, which makes the franchise owner money.
- Growing brand with serious buying power: American Freight has spent more than 25 years developing a proven business model and growing to more than 360 stores across 38 states (and counting!). With the buying power of hundreds of stores, franchise owners enjoy healthy discounts on costs per unit and can purchase items in larger quantities for low prices.
- Semi-absentee: Franchising with American Freight is a rare opportunity to own a successful business without being in the store daily. Dr. Troy Caron, MBA, a multi-unit franchise owner, is able to maintain his full-time career as an orthopedic surgeon while growing his investment with American Freight.
- Everyone’s a customer: Everybody needs a place to sit, sleep and eat, so American Freight’s customer base is broad — making the business model resistant to economic headwinds.
Bottom line: American Freight doesn’t just plant flags; it opens successful stores.
WHO IS THE IDEAL CANDIDATE?
- Semi-absentee
- Multi-unit owner
- Minimum $200,000 liquidity
- Minimum $750,000 net worth
- Good credit
- U.S. citizen
- Innovative and influential
- P&L driver
- Superior networking and social skills
WHAT TRAINING AND SUPPORT CAN FRANCHISE OWNERS EXPECT?
Initial Training:
- Live instructor led classes instructed by National Field trainers
- Online training and performance support
- In-store training visits
- Extensive role-based training at American Freight’s state-of-the-art training facility and distribution center in Newark Delaware
Ongoing Support:
- Operational reporting
- KPI’s and scorecards
- Vendor relationships provided
- White glove, in-house delivery model
- Local grassroots recruiting
- HQ contact center for all technical and business support
Marketing Support
- Manage marketing calendar
- Place all media, digital marketing
- Develop creative
- Administrate email and text messaging programs
- Provide reporting on spend and results
- Support local activities that a franchisee may want to do
THE AMERICAN FREIGHT STORY
American Freight Furniture and Mattress was established in Lima, Ohio in 1994 with one simple mission in mind: to help customers save money on quality furniture and mattresses. For the past few decades, the company has stayed true to its early promise and served the nation as a resource for home furnishings — because everyone needs a place to sit, sleep and eat!
Since introducing its franchise model in 2020, American Freight’s per-store average income figures have attracted entrepreneurs and people looking for semi-absentee opportunities. Over the years, the company has grown to over 360 locations across 38 states, including the combination and acquisition of nearly 130 Sears Outlet stores and over 30 FFO Home locations. Throughout its growth, American Freight expanded its product assortment to encompass furniture, mattresses and appliances. Now, American Freight continues to sell the best for less every day through flexible payment options, “take home today” offerings and 100% approved free layaway.
This is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, an American Freight franchise. Offerings made by prospectus only and in compliance with the applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your state. ©️2023 American Freight®️. All rights reserved.
Business Overview
| Franchising Since | 2020 (3 years) |
|---|---|
| # of employees at HQ | 93 |
| Where seeking |
This company is offering new franchisees throughout the US. |
| # of Units | 367 (as of 2022) |
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Information for Franchisees
Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a American Freight franchise.
Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees
Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.
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Initial Franchise Fee
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$49,900 |
|---|---|
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Initial Investment
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$496,900 - $942,900 |
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Net Worth Requirement
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$750,000 |
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Cash Requirement
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$200,000 |
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Royalty Fee
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5% |
|
Ad Royalty Fee
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$7.1K/mo. |
|
Term of Agreement
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10 years |
| Is franchise term renewable? | Yes |
Financing Options
Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.
| Third Party Financing | American Freight has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, inventory |
|---|
Training & Support Offered
Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.
| On-The-Job Training | 30 hours |
|---|---|
| Classroom Training | 40 hours |
| Ongoing Support |
Newsletter
Meetings & Conventions
Grand Opening
Security & Safety Procedures
Lease Negotiation
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
|
| Marketing Support |
Ad Templates
Regional Advertising
Social Media
SEO
Website Development
Email Marketing
Loyalty Program/App
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Operations
Additional details about running this franchise.
| Is absentee ownership allowed? | Yes |
|---|---|
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Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit?
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No |
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Can this franchise be run part time?
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No |
| # of employees required to run | 10 |
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Are exclusive territories available?
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Yes |
Franchise 500 Ranking History
Compare where American Freight landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.
Additional Rankings
Curious to know where American Freight ranked on other franchise lists? Find out below.
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