Apricot Lane Boutique | 11 Going forward, Petersen says growth will never be a challenge again – only an opportunity. At the start of 2012, they brought in an outside group for a three-day planning session to lay out goals and initiatives for the rest of the year. “If we’re going to open 30 stores this year, what do I need in an area of construction? What do I need in an area of training? Store openers? Merchandisers?” he says. “We went back and made sure we were being proactive.” That strategy has since paid off – since February 2011, Apricot Lane franchisees have not felt the impact of the brand’s growth, Petersen adds. As for the long-term future, Petersen sees Apricot Lane continuing to expand at an aggressive rate. They recently opened a new store at the Las Vegas International Airport, and their goal is to hit 50 stores next year, while opening additional 50 to 75 stores each year going forward. At the same time, Apricot Lane is more about quality rather than quantity, and that starts by finding great franchisees and locations that “fit together,” Petersen says. “That is our focus,” he says in conclusion, “Balancing quality and quantity with managed growth that continues to build upon our infrastructure bringing new resources and opportunities to our franchisees to make them more successful.”
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