Openings, closures, transfers: reading unit movement

Franchise systems report how many outlets they had at the start and end of each year, and the events in between.

The event types

• Openings: new outlets that began operating
• Transfers: an existing outlet sold to a new owner
• Terminations: the franchisor ended the agreement
• Non-renewals: the agreement expired and was not renewed
• Reacquisitions: the franchisor took the outlet back
• Ceased operations: the outlet closed for other reasons

Reading across years

One year can mislead. Three years show whether movement is steady, rising, or uneven.

What counts can't tell you

A closure could follow poor results, a relocation, or an owner retiring. The table doesn't say which. We report the counts as counts and don't turn them into success or failure rates without labeling them as our calculation.