Devens, Mass., March 7, 2017 – Learning Express Toys, the nation’s largest educational toy retailer, was recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500®, the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Recognized by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500® places Learning Express Toys as number 271 for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate, and brand power.
“We are proud to achieve this ranking, reflecting our continuing success and proven model after 30 years of business,” said Sharon DiMinico, founder and CEO of Learning Express Toys. “As the world of retail evolves, we empower our franchisees to create an unforgettable in-store experience for families.”
“We spend months gathering and crunching data in order to produce the Franchise 500 ranking. We’re proud of the result and the way it continues to be a resource for the franchise community,” says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur. “Like every industry, franchising is ever-evolving and must smartly react to new technologies and consumer demands. We know it takes a lot to stay competitive, and are excited to celebrate those that do it best.”
“In order to reflect the evolving business world at large, we at Entrepreneur continue to evolve our annual ranking, too,” says Ryan Shea, president of Entrepreneur. “We’ve developed new ways to measure and analyze our collected data as new critical data points come into play. We take into account pertinent factors such as social media presence and financing availability, which have become increasingly important in today’s economy. The result is a more complete and relevant Franchise 500® that can serve as a valuable resource for our readers.”
The key factors that go into Entrepreneur’s evaluation include costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. All franchises are given a cumulative score based on more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500® in ranking order.
Over its 38 years in existence, the Franchise 500® has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for entrepreneurs. Learning Express Toys’ position on the ranking reinforces its strength in the industry.
To view Learning Express Toys in the full ranking, visit www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500.
About Learning Express Toys
Learning Express Toys is the nation’s leading franchisor of educational toy stores with more than 120 locations across the country – each one locally owned and operated. Providing an extraordinary shopping experience, Learning Express Toys is best known for its knowledgeable and playful sales staff and its unique product mix (birth – age 14). Believing that everyone who walks through the doors should be WOWED, Learning Express Toys focuses on the customer experience.
A birthday gift registry, free gift wrapping, free personalization, civic fundraising and regularly scheduled children’s events contribute to the exceptional customer service and energetic atmosphere.
To learn more about Learning Express Toys, franchise opportunities, or a store near you, visit learningexpress.com.
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