To maintain a competitive edge as a franchise in the years ahead, you must heed certain arising and continuing trends and practices. Knowing which industries are most likely to franchise and other franchise trends can help you plan your approach to franchise development in 2025 and beyond.
In this blog post, Senior Content Writer, Elizabeth Seigle, will explore the various trends to watch for and how they can help fuel your franchise growth.
What You’ll Learn:
- What Industries Are Most Likely to Franchise in 2025?
- Franchise Development Trends in 2025
- Franchise Sales Trends in 2025
- Franchise Marketing Trends in 2025
My Expert Insight into Franchise Trends
2024 saw plenty of interesting developments in franchise trends. Specifically, I observed everything from slower decision-making due to economic cooling, a continued emphasis on customer-centric experiences to combat rising costs, and an increased reliance on AI tools.
Many of these trends will continue into the next year and the foreseeable future, but there are some additional franchise industry trends on the horizon. For instance, you’ll want to know what industries are most likely to franchise in the next year and how these companies will plan their franchising strategies.
It’s also important to look at economic trends as you head into 2025, with 1851 Franchise finding some experts to be hopeful about the future of franchises. With potentially more deregulation and reduced taxes, many franchises have reason to expect a bright future ahead, especially as innovation continues to drive development.
Knowing what to expect in the coming years with franchise development, marketing, and sales will ultimately keep you on top of your industry, allowing for real long-term franchise growth.
What Industries Are Most Likely to Franchise in 2025?
According to Entrepreneur, many of the year’s trending industries will include food and beverage, along with others that appeal to people looking for affordable offerings and franchise opportunities.
So, what industries are most likely to franchise in the coming year? Let’s take a look at Entrepreneur’s list of top industries and brands.
Note: These categories are not listed in any particular order.
1. Beverages
Many popular and growing franchise brands fall under the beverage industry. Companies like Dunkin’, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and Smoothie King are dominating this market as they see continued franchise growth.
2. Chicken
Many chicken franchise opportunities are seeing success today. Top brands in this industry include Popeyes Louisiana Chicken, KFC, and Wingstop, which continue to expand across the U.S.
3. Childcare
As parents seek more education opportunities for their children in early childhood and supplemental education, the childcare industry will also flourish into 2025. The Learning Experience Academy of Early Education, The Goddard School, and Kiddie Academy are among the most popular childcare franchises.
4. Children’s Fitness
Another area related to childcare that’s likely to continue growing is children’s fitness. Many of these include swim schools, fitness programs, and facilities. For instance, Goldfish Swim School and Aqua-Tots Swim Schools top this industry, with Skyhawks and SuperTots Sports Academy close behind.
5. Desserts
Getting into the food industry, dessert brands are also excelling into 2025. Some leading brands here include Culver’s (for their frozen custard), Kona Ice, and Baskin-Robbins.
6. Home Improvement
As more people seek remodeling and complete DIY home improvement projects, franchises in this industry will also continue to develop. Top-performing home improvement brands include Ace Hardware, Budget Blinds, and Kitchen Tune-Up.
7. Mental Health Services
An increasing emphasis on mental health is fueling this industry’s growth. These brands offer everything from outpatient services to training programs and communities for new mothers. Some of these leading franchises include Ellie Mental Health, Cereset, and New Mom School.
8. Autism Services
More awareness about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is leading to innovations in therapy and treatment services. As such, you can expect to see growth among brands like Changing the Spectrum, RCG Behavioral Health, and Success on the Spectrum.
9. Pets
People are always looking for pet supplies, training services, daycare, and more for their animal companions, making the pet industry a flourishing market. The winning brands here include Pet Supplies Plus, Dogtopia, and Dog Training Elite.
10. Restoration Services
Following natural disasters or other forms of wear and tear, many home and business owners seek restoration services from brands like Servpro, PuroClean, and Paul Davis Restoration.
11. Senior Care
Seniors and their families want the best care, making reliable senior care services among the leading franchise industry trends today. Interim Healthcare, Home Instead, and Senior Helpers are among the best performers in this industry.
Franchise Development Trends in 2025
Multiple factors influenced franchise development trends in 2024, primarily related to cost and budgeting. Franchise Business Review also sees other themes impacting franchise growth into 2025, including economic changes, technological advancements, and an increased emphasis on human-centric approaches and authenticity.
Based on these, here are some top franchise trends to watch for in 2025:
Increased Overall Franchise Growth
2024’s overall financial stability and cost-effectiveness gave many franchises the foothold they needed to succeed into next year. Franchises will need to maximize operational excellence, sufficiently train their franchisees, and implement innovative technologies to maintain a competitive advantage.
More Potential Costs
While experts predict that both new and existing franchise brands have a chance to succeed in today’s environment, some added costs could present a challenge. For instance, some experts are uncertain how the new presidential administration’s implementation of international tariffs could increase supply chain and supply costs.
Technological Innovations
Various technologies will continually optimize franchise development efforts. For example, advanced franchise sales CRM tools can facilitate better communication with franchisees and customers, while automation integrations will simplify various processes and streamline workflows.
AI Data Analysis
Franchises will continue to have the ability to gain powerful insights into their data with the help of AI. This technology will integrate into automated support, predictive analysis to optimize performance, and other areas to really drive industry growth.
A Focus on Speed and Convenience
Time is money, which is a philosophy that more and more franchises and consumers are taking seriously. As a result, franchises will continue to cater to fast-paced lifestyles and a culture of instant gratification, with timely delivery to end customers while working to maintain quality.
Emphasized Talent Growth and Development
If you want your franchise to really take off in 2025, another essential element is leadership development. Franchisors and franchisees should have sufficient training and expertise to make the most of franchising opportunities and drive expansion. By investing enough in the people behind them, franchises can effectively flourish.
Franchise Sales Trends in 2025
Franchise sales will likely soar in 2025, with a couple of key developments influencing sales figures. These franchise trends include:
Reduced Interest Rates
Experts hope that with reduced interest rates and an overall pro-business administration, 2025 will see a notable increase in franchise sales. Specifically, reduced interest rates would have the benefit of driving more private capital for franchises and increasing the number of sponsorships.
Expanding Verticals
More franchises out there are going beyond their initial verticals to branch out into as many franchising opportunities as they can. For example, Flynn Group, formerly Flynn Restaurant Group, went from focusing solely on the food and beverage industry to branching into the fitness sector.
Franchise Marketing Trends in 2025
Another area of focus for any franchise in 2025 will be franchise marketing. Digital marketing strategies will continue to influence these brands’ success as they make use of the latest technologies and best practices.
The following are some critical franchise marketing trends to keep in mind in 2025:
The Use of Multichannel Campaigns
To expand their reach as much as possible, franchisors should implement multichannel marketing campaigns that use all available channels. From franchise websites and social media campaigns to franchise email and app marketing, it’s essential to connect with franchisees and customers at every potential touchpoint.
Better AI Capabilities
AI will only improve its ability to analyze, report, and predict data. By incorporating AI insights into your marketing efforts, you can continue to optimize your campaigns and fully utilize personalization to connect with target audiences.
Stay Ahead of the Latest Franchise Trends With Ignite Visibility
Knowing which industries are most likely to trend and other franchise trends will help you succeed in your industry. While knowledge is one thing, being able to implement it effectively is another, which is how Ignite Visibility can help.
At Ignite Visibility, we have plenty of experience working with franchise clients to help them grow, allowing them to focus on running and expanding their business while knowing their web design, sales, marketing, and other digital efforts are in good hands.
Turn to us if you would like:
- In-depth market research into your audiences and competitors
- Highly optimized marketing campaigns that utilize all relevant channels
- A reliable website and off-site marketing efforts that reach your target audiences
- Reporting and analytics for continual optimization
- And more!
To speak with a member of our team and get started, reach out to us today!
