Market Research for Franchising

Q: What makes 10 THOUSAND FEET different from a general market research agency?

Genuine, deep specialist expertise in franchising. 10 THOUSAND FEET understands the operational, relational, and commercial dynamics unique to franchise networks and designs research that accounts for them.

Market Research for Franchising:

A Complete Guide by 10 THOUSAND FEET

At 10 THOUSAND FEET, we’ve spent more than 20 years helping franchise networks across Australia and beyond understand what’s really happening inside their business. As a specialist market research agency with a division dedicated entirely to franchising, we’ve worked with more than 62 franchise brands in the last three years across retail, QSR, fitness, services, and more, and we know that the best research doesn’t just generate data. It creates clarity, builds trust, and drives real change across a network.

What Is Market Research for Franchising?

Market research for franchising is the systematic collection and analysis of data within a franchise network covering: franchisee satisfaction, engagement, brand consistency, network performance, and customer experience.

It sounds straightforward, but franchise research is genuinely different from general market research. The relationship between a franchisor and their franchisees is unlike any other business relationship; built on shared investment, mutual dependency, and a great deal of trust. Research that doesn’t account for those dynamics tends to produce surface-level findings that networks can’t act on.

Done well, franchise market research helps franchisors:

Measure franchisee satisfaction and engagement across the network
Identify performance gaps between high- and low-performing locations
Improve franchisee retention by addressing dissatisfaction early
Ensure brand and customer experience consistency across all locations
Make confident, data-driven decisions about network support and investment

10 THOUSAND FEET: Franchise Market Research Specialists

We’re widely regarded as a leading provider of market research for franchising in Australia, and we’re proud of the track record that’s earned that reputation.

Credential	Detail
Years of experience	20+ years in franchise market research
Franchisee surveys conducted	1,000+
TopFranchise Awards	19 consecutive years running the TopFranchise Awards
Bespoke franchisor research	400+ brand, customer satisfaction and exploratory studies
Franchise clients (last 3 years)	62 brands
Client recommendation rate	100% (November 2025 Client Satisfaction Survey)

Our clients include some of Australia’s most recognised franchise brands: 7-Eleven, ANZ Mobile Lending, Anytime Fitness, Chatime, Ferguson Plarre’s Bakehouse, Jim’s Group, Mister Minit, Plus Fitness, Poolwerx, Soul Origin, Snap-on Tools, Snooze, and World Gym.

We work with networks of every size, from 15 locations to 1,000+ and across all ownership structures, whether ASX-listed, private equity-backed, or still proudly founder-led.

The Heart of What We Do

Franchising is a people industry. That’s not just a nice thing to say, it shapes everything about how we approach our work. As our Founder and Head of Intelligence, Ian Krawitz puts it:

“When franchisees end their day feeling supported and fulfilled, that positive energy flows into their families and communities. And when head office teams see the positive impact they’re having on real lives, their work becomes more than a job, it becomes a purpose.”

For us, research has always been about more than data. It’s about understanding what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to change so that everyone in the network, franchisors, franchisees, and the customers they serve can genuinely thrive.

What Is a Franchisee Satisfaction Survey?

A franchisee satisfaction survey is a structured research instrument that franchisors use to measure how satisfied, supported, and engaged their franchisees are. It’s one of the most powerful tools available to a franchisor and one of the most underutilised.

Well-designed franchisee satisfaction survey questions cover areas such as:

Quality and responsiveness of support from head office
Communication and transparency from the franchisor
Franchisee profitability and financial performance expectations
Training and operational resources
Marketing and branding support
Franchisee passion and the lifestyle that business ownership provides
Innovation and strategy
Overall relationship satisfaction with the franchisor

The evidence is clear: high franchisee satisfaction correlates strongly with better retention, stronger brand performance, stronger comparative sales growth, and more consistent customer experiences across locations. And equally, undetected franchisee dissatisfaction is one of the leading causes of network instability and franchisee exit.

With over 1,000 franchisee satisfaction surveys conducted, we’ve developed specialist methodologies that go beyond standard survey design, creating instruments that generate honest, candid data rather than the polished responses franchisees sometimes feel pressure to give.

Our Services

Franchisee Satisfaction Surveys

Custom-designed surveys built to measure franchisee sentiment, support satisfaction, and overall engagement. Our frameworks are designed to encourage honest participation and surface the insights that matter, including the early warning signs of disengagement that allow franchisors to act before franchisees exit the network.

Network Performance Benchmarking

Comparative analysis that measures individual locations or regions against network averages, helping franchisors understand where performance is strong, where intervention is needed, and why.

Brand Health and Brand Consistency Research

We measure both the strength of the brand overall and how consistently brand standards are being applied across locations. We identify the gaps between brand promise and the experience customers actually have on the ground.

Customer Experience Research

Location-level customer experience tracking that surfaces inconsistencies and highlights opportunities to lift performance across the network. We also hold industry benchmarks across vertical sectors, so franchise brands can see how their customer experience stacks up against the broader market.

Why Franchise Networks Need Specialist Research

It’s tempting to assume that any experienced market research agency could apply their skills to a franchise network. In practice, the franchisor-franchisee relationship introduces dynamics that require genuine specialist expertise:

Power dynamics: Franchisees may be reluctant to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction directly to franchisors. Survey design and administration need to be carefully managed to create the conditions for candid, honest responses.
Multi-level analysis: Insights need to be meaningful at both the individual location level and across the network as a whole simultaneously.
Actionability across a distributed network: Findings need to translate into practical steps that head office teams, regional leaders and individual franchisees can actually implement in their specific contexts.

This is the expertise we’ve spent two decades building. Our research is designed not just to tell you what’s happening, but to give you the tools to do something about it.

Client Outcomes

In our November 2025 Client Satisfaction Survey, 100% of clients said they would recommend 10 THOUSAND FEET, with scores distributed as follows:

25% scored willingness to recommend at 8/10
37.5% scored it at 9/10
37.5% scored it at 10/10

We’re proud of those numbers, but we’re prouder of the outcomes behind them. To see what franchise market research looks like in practice:

Read the Mister Minit case study to see how franchisee satisfaction research drove targeted, network-wide action.
See the Fitness Enhancement case study to understand how franchisee satisfaction research fuelled network growth.
Explore the G.J. Gardner Homes case study to learn how exploratory consumer research designed specifically for a franchise network drove $700 million in sales.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who needs franchise market research? Any franchisor looking to improve franchisee satisfaction, reduce network churn, strengthen brand consistency, elevate customer experience, or make more informed decisions about network support and investment. If your network is growing, experiencing franchisee turnover, or producing inconsistent results across locations, research is almost always the right first step.

How often should franchisors conduct franchisee satisfaction surveys? Most leading franchise networks survey their franchisees annually. Some supplement this with shorter pulse surveys at more frequent intervals to track shifts in sentiment and measure the impact of specific initiatives over time.

What makes 10 THOUSAND FEET different from a general market research agency? Genuine, deep specialist expertise in franchising. We understand the operational, relational, and commercial dynamics that are unique to franchise networks, and we design research that accounts for them. Our advice is practical and action-oriented, because we know that a recommendation only has value if your network can actually implement it.

What industries do you work with? We work across franchise sectors including retail, fitness, QSR (food and beverage), and services. Covering both consumer-facing and B2B franchise models throughout Australia.

Do you work with small franchise networks? Absolutely. We work with networks from 20 locations to 1,000+, tailoring our research scope and methodology to suit the size and stage of each network.

Ready to understand your franchise network more deeply? Enquire here or set up a complimentary call with a franchise research expert – we’d love to hear about your network.

Let’s start a conversation

We’ve helped other clients transform their organisations and would love to be part of your story.

Address

Level 6, 275 Alfred Street North,
North Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2060

Email

info@10thousandfeet.com

Phone

02 8080 7544