Pros and Cons of the Pure-Play Franchisor E-Commerce Model

The pure-play franchisor model places responsibility for e-commerce licensing, setup, operations (including fulfillment), marketing and customer support squarely on the franchisor.   

On the surface, this model seems like a streamlined way to achieve franchise e-commerce deployment, but franchisors should be wary of widening a franchisor-franchisee gap where franchisees perceive online sales as siphoning local sales from covered territories, especially if companies run exclusive online promotions. 

Most franchisors do choose this approach, in spite of tensions it can cause with franchisees. If your franchise is leaning toward this model, your leadership might still want to consider purchasing a shopping cart solution that will let it evolve toward the other models described below. Flexibility is your best ally.