- Franchise 500 Rank
-
N/R Not ranked last year
- Initial investment
-
$195K - $378K
- Units as of 2024
-
88 2.3% over 3 years
From fun, innovative toys to their personalized gifts, Learning Express Toys & Gifts provides children with activities and events to entertain them for days. The company was founded in 1987 and has been selling its trademark toys, books, games, and children’s accessories for several decades. From the company's birth to its present, the Learning Express Toys & Gifts franchise has grown to have many franchised stores in states all over the U.S.
The perfect franchisee of Learning Express Toys & Gifts store is persistent and hard-working. You should have the leadership skills to be a role model to your employees and be fully trained to support your team.
Why You May Want to Start a Learning Express Toys & Gifts Franchise
Learning Express Toys & Gifts has a mission of commitment to the team, product, and the "Wow!" experience for a quality customer experience (otherwise known as TPW!). This mission is key to bringing in consistent sales. Strong store support also strengthens the brand, as well as the team of franchisees.
The franchisor’s goal is to have the home office, vendors, and franchisees come together to form a global support community. To make this possible, Learning Express Toys & Gifts offers both clients and franchisees the help they need through phone calls, email, and text messaging.
What Might Make Learning Express Toys & Gifts a Good Choice?
There are several benefits offered to the customer through Learning Express Toys & Gifts, including product demonstrations, a birthday gift registry, free gift wrapping services, free personalization, and fundraising program projects at each of their stores. Each of these aspects offers you, as the franchisee, a broader spectrum of products to offer your clientele.
If you are wondering if opening a Learning Express Toys & Gifts franchise is for you, ask for a copy of the Franchise Disclosure Document. This document shares a wide variety of information that will assist you in making your decision regarding your opportunity with the company. Unfortunately, Learning Express Toys & Gifts does not offer in-house financing, but they are registered with the Small Business Administration. Through them, Learning Express Toys & Gifts might be able to help you secure a loan with third-party funding. These loans could help cover the franchise fee, equipment finance, startup costs, inventory finance, and payroll.
How Do You Open a Learning Express Toys & Gifts Franchise?
In order to own and operate a Learning Express Toys & Gifts franchise, you will want to be prepared with a substantial amount of liquid assets. You should be ready for an initial franchise fee, and you should expect extra costs in additional fees and working capital as well.
While starting a franchise is definitely an investment, you can access pretty much everything from software and inventory to furniture and insurance. In addition, you'll have the chance to chat with their current franchisors as you move forward in the process, which can give you a great idea of the day-to-day operations. You can share your business plan with them as well for additional feedback.
Before you know it, you will be bringing the joy of a Learning Express Toys & Gifts franchise into your community.
Company Overview
About Learning Express Toys & Gifts
| Industry | Children's Businesses |
|---|---|
| Related Categories | Children's Retail, Miscellaneous Children's Businesses, Miscellaneous Retail Businesses |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Leadership | Lauren Derse, CEO |
| Corporate Address |
P.O. Box 1370 Pepperell, MA 01463 |
| Social | Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest |
Business Overview
| Franchising Since | 1990 (35 years) |
|---|---|
| # of employees at HQ | 26 |
| Where seeking |
This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. |
| # of Units | 88 (as of 2024) |
|
|
|
Information for Franchisees
Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Learning Express Toys & Gifts 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.
|
Initial Franchise Fee
|
$40,000 |
|---|---|
|
Initial Investment
|
$195,275 - $378,251 |
|
Net Worth Requirement
|
$300,000 |
|
Cash Requirement
|
$125,000 |
|
Royalty Fee
|
5% |
|
Term of Agreement
|
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 | Learning Express Toys & Gifts has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll |
|---|
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 | 228 hours |
|---|---|
| Classroom Training | 28 hours |
| Ongoing Support |
Purchasing Co-ops
Newsletter
Meetings & Conventions
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security & Safety Procedures
Lease Negotiation
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
|
| Marketing Support |
Co-op Advertising
Ad Templates
National Media
Regional Advertising
Social Media
SEO
Website Development
Email Marketing
Loyalty Program/App
|
Operations
Additional details about running this franchise.
| Is absentee ownership allowed? | No |
|---|---|
|
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit?
|
No |
|
Can this franchise be run part time?
|
No |
| # of employees required to run | 8-12 |
|
Are exclusive territories available?
|
Yes |
Franchise 500 Ranking History
Compare where Learning Express Toys & Gifts landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.
Sign Up for Our Franchise Newsletter
Stay up to date on the latest news and trends affecting the franchise industry.
Related Franchises
Are you eager to see what else is out there? Browse franchises that are similar to Learning Express Toys & Gifts.
UPS Store, The
- description
- Shipping, packing, package management, mailboxes, printing, faxing, shredding, notary services
Related Franchise Content
Catch up on the latest franchise news, trends, and more.
Thinking About Scaling From a Single Unit to Multi-Unit Ownership? Here's What You Need to Know.
Scaling from a single franchise location to multiple units demands new systems, deeper trust and a shift in how you lead.
After 14 Years as an RN, She Opened the Business She Always Wanted to See — And Reached $1.3 Million
Rachel Wommack knew there had to be a better way to care for seniors, so she launched a business and proved it.
Want to Own a Franchise? This 3-Tier Approach Can Help You Choose Wisely.
Instead of trying to find the magic unicorn franchise to match an individual, flip the script. Check out the 3 tiers that largely determine successful franchise businesses.
This Franchise Gives Veterans a $40,000 Head Start to Build Generational Wealth — No Fee Required
PJ's Coffee launched its Veteran Franchise License Giveaway nearly a decade ago to help military vets transition to civilian life through entrepreneurship.
These Are the Top Cleaning Franchises in 2025 — With Startup Costs As Low As $5,000
These top-ranked cleaning franchises combine steady demand, low startup costs and recurring revenue to offer some of the most accessible business opportunities today.
Here's What the 'One, Big, Beautiful Bill' Means for the Franchise Industry
The legislation includes tax changes that affect more than 800,000 franchise businesses nationwide.