Sears Holdings Corp. (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) may be struggling, but its franchise subsidiary, Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc., has made its first appearance on Entrepreneur magazine’s list of the 500 top franchisers.
It ranks 161st.
According to a Sears statement, the subsidiary was recognized “for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate, and size of the franchise system.”
“Placing in the top half of the Franchise 500 in our first year as a public company is truly an honor,” said Scott Nichols, director of franchise business development. “Ranking so high on such a prestigious industry list is a testament to our amazing group of franchisees and the success of our controlled national expansion.”
The franchising operation, begun in 2009, has grown to more than 165 locations. The three franchise opportunities focus on selling home appliances, hardware, tools, lawn and garden equipment and more.
Entrepreneur says the rankings for all 500 companies are determined using an “exclusive formula” that takes into account objective and quantifiable factors. After the financial data are analyzed by an independent CPA, the franchises are given a cumulative score, and the 500 franchises with the highest scores comprise the list for the year.