Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2020 December 14

= December 14 =

How do I get this company to trade in my country?
Dear all,

I am writing to ask a question here to try and sort something out that has been on my mind for three years. This question will be very long, but I hope you can answer it anyway.

Basically, it all started three years ago on a holiday, when on the tv in my hotel room, came a programme called Undercover Boss. The episode featured a frozen yogurt franchise by the name of Menchie's Frozen Yogurt. I was immediately awe-struck by the friendliness and convenience of this business. In particular, I became obsessed with the company’s mascot, who appeared at a birthday party in the episode.

So, here I was, looking at this awesome business and wondering how I could get myself to it as soon as possible. The next step was to do some research, but I was distracted by other things, which meant that I didn’t get round to the research until several months later. When I did do the research, I found that the nearest location to me was somewhere in New England.

I then proceeded to email Menchie’s to find out more. They told me that they were indeed open to the idea of appearing in new countries including mine, but it would take a very long time to set that up. By the end of last year, I had gotten to the stage where I sent a few more emails, asking for updates and more information, but for some reason, they stopped replying to me.

And that brings us up to date. Obviously due to the current pandemic, I have dropped this issue, knowing that businesses in general would prefer not to try anything adventurous during these unfortunate times. However, with the recent vaccine news, I feel like we are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. So, therefore, I have decided to start up this issue again. Since, emailing is no longer delivering results, I thought I would write this question instead.

Looking forward, I expect the pandemic should be over by the end of 2021, so am ideally looking to see some kind of progress by the end of 2022 or some point in early 2023. I would expect that this is borne in mind when answering this question, as I would like to state here that I probably won’t do much else until well into next year at least. So, I would prefer it if the pandemic was not mentioned in any answers. Please also note that I would like to avoid discussion about business, economics or politics, as my knowledge of these is quite poor.

So, upon answering this question, I would like for you to offer me any ideas as to how I could go about encouraging this, remembering that these ideas are for the future. Therefore, present conditions should not be relevant here. To make things easier to understand, here the main points of interest:
 * 1) How do I get Menchie’s to open a franchise in my country?
 * 2) How do I sort out the issue of not getting replies to my emails?
 * 3) Menchies has locations in such places as India and UAE. So why not my country?
 * 4) Why am I so useless at making sense?

I hope you take the time to read my writings. I apologies for any inconvenience caused by them, and I hope you understand what I have to say. Thank you in advance, 95.148.142.113 (talk) 22:34, 14 December 2020 (UTC).
 * Establishing franchises in a new country or region can be complicated, especially concerning supply and logistics. You would have better luck finding another frozen yogurt shop near you.  There are "about 602 results" for "frozen yogurt shop in United Kingdom" on Yoys:  2603:6081:1C00:1187:1993:157:909C:2B3A (talk) 00:01, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * It appears your search results haven’t quite worked, I’m afraid. Only about 20 of the results are actually in the UK. Also I pride myself on doing things that are hard, it’s like what President Kennedy said. I want to do “complicated” things, my life would be boring and not worth living otherwise. Besides, if India can be made to work, then my native Scotland can’t be that bad. I’d rather not enter into a discussion about “near me”, as it would not be constructive and I feel like it’s just chickening out. 95.148.142.113 (talk) 00:12, 15 December 2020 (UTC)


 * In a sense, you can't "get a company to trade in your country". You obviously can't physically force them, and there's no way you can use any sort of legal leverage. It comes down to their decision alone, based on their perceived return on such an investment. Sure, requests from members of the public might go into - and become a small part of - the mix, but there are far more complex issues for them to consider when deciding whether or not to establish their business in another country. These things just don't operate on the basis of "A Scots person has made some polite requests, so we are now going to open up in their country". That's the stuff of fanciful 1950s movies. --  Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  00:21, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * True, but theoretically if I can make enough money, I could purchase a franchise of this company. The way they work is that they get people to become franchise owners. So, these people invest some money into the company, and they then get to own their own stores in the company’s name. Lots of businesses do this. If I could become one of these people, then I could do the investment stuff and then get my wish that way. Of course, it could take decades for me to become that powerful, I would want to be the head of my own business first, so that I could bring in a six-figure salary. So, I am hoping that I’ll get a location in Scotland sooner than that, so I’m always going to keep hoping. Do remember, back when I did get info from the company’s email address, they said that they were open to trading in Scotland/The Uk, but that it would take years for that to occur, bearing in mind that the current pandemic will have caused delays in many areas. 95.148.142.113 (talk) 01:19, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes, but to get a franchise, you have to agree to certain things, like branding, signage and uniform standards, and most germane to our discussion here, sourcing of ingredients and supplies. In order to run a Menchies franchise (which you legally own as your own business, i.e. it is still your company, and not owned by Menchies) you have to somehow get Menchies supplies in a quantity and a cost to make it a viable business.  If the company doesn't want to sell you those supplies, you can't force them to.  They may not be interested in establishing supply chains to your locality.  -- Jayron 32 13:23, 15 December 2020 (UTC)


 * If you develop a sound business plan and get the people at MFY to subscribe to it, you may be able to find financiers (banks, friends and family, or crowdfunding) and collect the funds needed for starting a local franchise. Since this is lots of work, you should perhaps begin by finding others interested in starting a local franchise together. But if you're willing to do this, why not start your own  Frenzy Ughourt undefined store? --Lambiam 14:27, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * I wouldn’t imagine finance would be an issue if my plans to earn six figures come true, but as I said, that could take a few decades. Also, I would never not agree to branding and other related things. Since this is starting to sound a little too business-like, and I said in my question that my knowledge of such is quite poor, I’d rather not discuss this anymore. I will, however, remind you that Menchies have no qualms about operating in Scotland, but it will take a few years to set that up, and the current pandemic will have caused delays.


 * So, in conclusion, I object to nothing mentioned here, because I will never, EVER, disagree with Menchies. Also, Menchies don’t object to trading in Scotland, but it will take years to do so, as they have a lot of other important things to do. I project I’ll get my desire by the end of 2027. (My original forecast was 2025, but I extended it by two years to account for the pandemic.) 95.148.142.113 (talk) 17:44, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * The business world is unpredictable. By 2027, they could be defunct. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 18:23, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * I don’t think that it is very likely, though. I tend not to think about scenarios like that, due to the fact that I don’t personally think that will happen. I think it’s best just to wait and see, I’m not keen on predicting the future, so I think we should not talk about that. 95.148.142.113 (talk) 20:26, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * 6 years is indeed a long time. ~6 years ago one editor was campaigning to bring Chuck E. Cheese to Scotland. What they're doing now, I make no comment. Meanwhile Chuck E. Cheese have themselves got into major problems. While they're probably going to survive in the short term, I imagine any major expansion is also very unlikely. Nil Einne (talk) 22:58, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * I'll be honest here, as much as franchisors sort of like franchisees who accept their terms no matter how unfair [//franchise.co.nz/articles/1635-kamikaze-conflict-br-how-do-franchise-disputes-escalate-br-and-what-can-you-do-to-avoid-it-]; I'm fairly sure most of the smarter ones aren't likely to accept an owner who so enamoured with their brand that said proposed owner has is not going to worry whether their business can actually work i.e. "never, EVER, disagree". To be clear, this is this doesn't mean there's a specific problem with really liking the brand, but simply that fascination cannot get in the way of planning and running the business. Also I'm not sure if this was clear enough in the previous answers but just because a franchisor exists doesn't means they will accept any specific franchise, especially in a new country. They can just tell anyone who asks to bugger off, it's totally up to them. (Like they seem to have done with your persistent e-mailing.) More generally, just because they may have plans to one day expand to a country or area doesn't meany any specific proposal fits their expansion plans. For example, they may only be interested in a company with multi-million-pound plans to operate in said country or area; either by themselves or by operating as a master franchise in that country/area. Definitely any proposal which doesn't have a detailed analysis of the existing frozen yoghurt and other dessert/competitor market in the area is likely to go in the bin after a cursory glance by some intern or whatever. (Or again, any proposal where the person seems more fascinated with the brand than coming up with a sound business strategy.) It's also possible they've already sold the Scotland/UK/whatever rights to someone who have their own plans. Admittedly with only outlets in the Middle East, probably not. Note while I doubt that they have any opposition to operating in Scotland, what they told you (before you kept bothering them so they started to ignore you) sounds like the sort of bog standard reply they'll probably say for most places. Even for those which they may have already decided they're unlikely to operate in. Nil Einne (talk) 22:18, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * I understand your comments, but I wouldn’t let anything get in the way of proper planning and operation. Obviously, I would ensure that any franchise I do is run properly, my first priority is always determining if any project I embark on is financially doable. So, I feel that I could competently pull such a thing off. I would also do my research in considerable detail, and would spend ages reading and rereading my business plans to ensure accuracy. I would also try to get a hold of some other business folks to assist me. Do remember, I’m not good at business, so much work is needed to learn how all this works. I did, after all, say that it would take decades for me to amass the necessary wealth to do anything anyway. Anyway, from what I remember of the replies I did get, they were worded in a way that suggested to me, that the contents of their reply were, in fact, genuine. Do bear in mind, that their location finder page contains a few empty sections, for countries such as Australia, South Africa, and the UK, that suggest that these are their target countries for future expansion. I will note that my theories might not be perfect, but these empty sections of their location finder page, are the best clue we have for future expansion. Please can we now end the business-talk, I can’t take any more of it, my knowledge is already being tested. Thank you. 95.148.142.113 (talk) 00:35, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Here’s another thought: I would suspect that the Chuck E Cheese guy and myself are a little dissatisfied by what is available where we come from. The USA seems to have all these wonderful brands and franchises that seem to come in an infinite supply. I guess we envy them as a result of that. For some reason, you don’t see as much variety in Scotland, though Glasgow does at least have plenty of options anyway. For some reason, the USA gets to have a lot of things to don’t appear anywhere else. 95.148.142.113 (talk) 01:43, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * I can recall a time, when I was in single digits, that McDonald's seemed exotic. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 04:02, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Obviously, we do see some American business come over here, so I always hope that we get something new to try. Also, I’ve figured out in my head that an important consideration for US business is a suitable address. This can be a little bit tricky to get in Scotland, due to the fact that many of our retail buildings are over a century old, thus they might not be of an ideal size or shape for US businesses. I think that one of the reasons for it taking so long for Menchie’s to come here, is finding the perfect address. I have found that Menchie’s franchises are often located in buildings that probably are younger than me. That’s a consideration with Europe in general, because our high streets and retail spaces are often of Victorian Era origin. Of course, we can get new builds as well, but this is tricky due to a higher population density in conjunction with such a small country. They have tonnes of space in America, but we don’t, unfortunately, have that luxury, expect maybe in the Highlands, but low population density by our standards, as well as a desire to preserve the countryside prevent anything major happening there. So, I obviously hope for a Menchie’s near me within the next decade, and so I also hope that a suitable address will appear in that time as well. 95.148.142.113 (talk) 12:44, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * According to their respective articles, Menchie's has 400-plus locations globally, whereas McDonald's has some 37,000. That says, at the very least, that McDonald's likely has much deeper pockets than Menchie's does. That probably figures into it more than anything. By the way, about that mascot, is that the character called "Peppa Pig"? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 14:34, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * I also noticed that Menchie's overseas locations seem to be mostly in warmer climates. That could figure into it as well. That is, how much demand is there in Scotland for ice cream or frozen yogurt in general? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 14:36, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * No, that is not the mascot of the company. Anyway, McDonalds also have a major time advantage, as they are over sixty years old. We Scots do like ice cream; we have a lot of ice cream parlours run by people of Italian descent. So, we’re no strangers to that, especially in our summer. I remember a heatwave we had where the temperature was 28 degrees Celsius. 95.148.142.113 (talk) 15:33, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Oh, you must be talking about that anthropomorphic yogurt cone. Very cute. 28 C is about 82 F, which probably seems warm to a Scot. :) I've seen it hit 105 in the Minneapolis area, which is about 40 Celsius. Minny is also where Dairy Queen is headquartered. DQ has about 6,800 stores globally. Is there one in your vicinity? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 15:43, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * BTW, the record high in Scotland is 33.2°C (91.8°F) at Motherwell in July 2018. Alansplodge (talk) 16:11, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * The 28 figure is the warmest I personally measured myself. Also, no Dairy Queens, but we do have a Baskin Robbins in Aberdeen. 95.148.142.113 (talk) 17:44, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Temperatures as high as the high 30s can be expected in most parts of Australia in summer. I've experienced a 46.4°C day (115.5°F) here in Victoria (Black Saturday bushfires, 7 Feb 2009). But I was never as hot as the day I visited the Taj Mahal in July 2007. I'm sure any thermometer would have melted. --  Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  21:19, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

You’re lucky, if I were exposed to such temperatures, I would melt :D95.148.142.113 (talk) 23:06, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
 * I guess I can now post here my closing remarks:
 * I have digested all information reported here, and in conjunction with my own insights, I do hereby wish to state for the record that it is my belief that my dream of having a Menchie’s location in Scotland will come true in the next decade. My official target is for 2027, as stated before. From what I gather, I will take leave for a while and recommence efforts in late 2021, or early 2022. I feel that the best course of action now is to wait until the pandemic is over and then try and send another email then. In addition to that, I state that the true reason for all this is my desire to have my photograph taken with the above-mentioned mascot, and to cuddle him as well. As God is my witness, I will get this done, no matter the amount of work required. Also, if I can achieve a net worth of £250,000, I WILL franchise and I WILL succeed, as such is my wisdom from now on. I will now finish off here by stating that I will never give up, and I will now close by thanking you all for your participation here. 95.148.142.24 (talk) 17:53, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
 * If it happens, be sure to get back to us. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 18:20, 20 December 2020 (UTC)