Nothing is Sweet about Candy Bouquet!

To run from this franchise opportunity.

For the prospects, current and past franchisees who read this forum don't be suckered into this get rich quick scheme of MM's! After a franchisee in the far upper rural West decided to put a JC Penney catalog kiosk in her store, our wonderful franchisor blurts out that this is a wonderful opportunity for us all!  She goes on to tell us that this was a "test" store and it has been successful. People who are ordering (yes online in a Candy Bouquet store) are now realizing the store has been there for just over two years and are now buying other products when they place their JCP orders and when they pick up their JCP orders at the franchisees store.  Just amazing! Now, get this.  The best part of it all, our wonderful franchisor won't disclose the test stores due to privacy but she has been negotiating the best deal possible with them for US! Therefore, for those who like to do their due diligence, shame on us!  We just need to follow what our "Pied Piper" franchisor tells us to do.  Boy will this lady just lead us all to our demise! Churner, churner, churner!  We were informed that JCP has the information on the franchisee locations and if they feel we are in a good fit area to add a kiosk to our store, the wonderful opportunity will cost us $6,000!  Boy, oh boy!  We are in a downturn economy, most states are in a recession and now we have the opportunity to pay a "Big Box" the opportunity to take up square footage in our store! But need to mention, we may receive up to 12% of the sales made in our store and a small percentage if a person in our JCP territory orders online elsewhere!  WOW!  So, now we have the wonderful opportunity to offer everything from a lollipop, domestic house wares to lingerie - YES, we can now sell panties!!!  Without disclosing the "test store(s)" we just need to forget about the costs of this opportunity.  Never mind the sunk costs you already have but mostly just forget about the variable costs because if you follow MM's lead, you will just be successful.  Upon doing my math and playing with the numbers by creating scenarios if I was to add a JCP kiosk to my store - approximate loss of $16 per $100 sale!  Don't worry - have no intentions of doing such. 

Just recently, we found out that the "test" store has only been doing this for 3 weeks and made a commission of $500 so far. And did not even know that she was a test store because she did this on her own!  When doing the math, it will take about 2.5 years for the ROI which is the average lifespan of a Candy Bouquet franchisee.  So guess it is a good fit there!  Also, learned that JCP is closing down a good majority of their own catalog showrooms, saving them millions of $$$. Just go figure. Totally at a loss on how this is a good fit with the world’s largest (shrinking) candy store franchise?????  Wouldn't it just make better sense to co brand us with Hershey’s, M&M Mars, or another well known chocolate/candy brand and hook us up with FTD and Teleflora for wiring services?  Boy, oh boy oh boy.

But with all that said, this one is for Mr. Mufflerman, any Jiffy Lube franchisee and any Econolube franchisee:

What will the costs be to partner with any of you so that we can all get greased before we get screwed all the more????     

Looking forward to your quotes, because the Snake Oil we bought into is drying up fast!

For the BlueMauMau lawyers - is this a start of a class action lawsuit? Not protecting the brand that many invested in with this franchisor?

Well, I tried to post on the CBI forum with a legitemate business question with a suggested solution and was promptly censored.

This is the issue, OUR BUTTS ARE GETTING KICKED in the branding and name recognition category of delivered gift products.

I just received my new FTD catalog and much to my surprise guess what they are pushing for bosses day and Halloween????? A Candy Bouquet!!!! Just got my Flower Shop Network newsletter for October, Guess what was on the cover for Bosses day and Halloween????
You guessed it, A candy bouquet in a mug for bosses day, and a regular Candy Bouquet in a different container for Halloween!!!!! Guess what they call them??? Candy bouquets!!!!!

Last night while watching prime time television, I saw 2 beautiful commercials for Edible arrangements on CBS as well as changing the channel to HGTV at 9pm and seeing 2 more for sweetest and bosses day.

Am I the only one who is incensed by this outrage??? If we have 50 some members in this Association why are we not flooding her phones and e-mail demanding that something be done?
Is she really that powerful that all but a small handful of franchisees are afraid to speak out?

This is not being negative, this is seeing a real problem and addressing it. That is what good business is all about. MM is great at talking the talk, but I can't think of one instance where she has walked the walk. This is not being bitter, negative or whiney, This is a serious issue folks.

When large companies like FTD, PRO FLOWERS, 1-800 FLOWERS, TELEFLORA Etc. start throwing money into marketing these items it means there is money in them and they all want their piece. Sure they may not have as many cellos if any, and may not use the fancy piks and containers as we have been led to believe are necessary, But you know what folks, they have found a way to make them profitable and not so labor intensive so they can afford to market the heck out of them. The consequence you might ask? The most important one is it makes our bouquets obsolete, and too expensive to produce. Mainstream America is seeing these mass produced bouquets and are buying them and loving them!!! They never see ours because CBI does no marketing. No one knows our brand our logo and doesn't really care. They want a nice gift delivered at a reasonable price, wired for them anywhere in the country! As Clinton would say, "It's the economy, Stupid". People want value and convenience along with brand recognition for security. These companies all offer this.

C'mon folks, Is anyone out there in association land willing to stand up with me as the unified voice we joined for and tell Margaret ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Her webinars and newsletters and cheerleading and blogging allday and selling Master Franchises which she seems to be so proud of Do nothing to make any franchisee a penny! Are we ready to reveal to her just who the association members are and that WE DEMAND ACTION!

If you feel this is negative, sorry, I call it just good business!
Anxiously awaiting to hear from all of you.

Obviously, I got people upset with what would be assumed an attack on the association. I believe the association is meant to represent the majority, not the minority. I know that 3 of the board members have a successful business, but not because of being a "franchisee". They are successful because of their Webkinz, fudge, candy making, etc lines of business. By the time a franchisee comes to the association they have one foot in the poor house because it takes until then that they are in dire straights before they believe the people in the association are right about CBI. This is one of the reasons why there is turnover in the association. The same reason there is so much turnover in ownership of franchises.

Is the association making head way, I doubt it. Not because of the efforts of the members, but the lack of effort of the franchisor. I would get out all together. The only way to truly make CBI go away is to stop investing in the franchise. You are throwing your money away. If you join the association thinking they can help you dig out of a hole, they cannot. It is almost impossible to do that in any business.

I want people to think from their head and not their hearts. I know it is hard because I have been there. A few of the board members have not been there. They do not know what it is to walk away with a huge loss and no way to pay for it. So to the board members, no response is necessary, are you truly representing the majority or the minority?

It is a year of history making in politics. Please represent the majority. You don't have to prove it to me, just the people you represent.

Free Bird