Celebration Aims to Raise Awareness of Franchising’s Economic Power
Tomorrow marks a big day in franchising, the inaugural World Franchise Day. The special day aims to raise awareness of the business model’s contributions to the economies around the world and to local communities and entrepreneurs. Starting in 2026 and in years to come, World Franchise Day will occur on the second Wednesday in June, according to the World Franchise Council (WFC), which conceived of the international day of celebration.
The WFC is a 31-year-old nonpolitical organization made of more than 40 other franchise groups such as the International Franchise Association (IFA), Canadian Franchise Association and British Franchise Association. Additional member associations dot the globe, with headquarters based in many other European nations, Australia and New Zealand, South and Central America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The WFC promotes the growth of franchising internationally and encourages best practice in franchise association management among its members. It also aims to nurture the development of franchise associations in countries that lack such organizations.
In announcing the debut of World Franchise Day, WFC General Secretary Simon Bartholomew says in a video that franchisors, franchisees, suppliers and others involved with the business model play “a pivotal role in the global economy,” including generating considerable employment. “It also serves as a fertile ground for individuals aspiring to fulfill their dream of owning their own business. … Franchisees benefit from reduced business risks and increased chance of success.” Toward the end of the short video, Bartholomew adds, “This celebration will enhance awareness and appreciation of franchising’s role in shaping our modern economies.”
Buzz on LinkedIn
In the lead-up to World Franchise Day, the celebration earned some social media buzz. For instance, Richard Davies, a multibrand United Kingdom franchise operator (ComputerXplorers, ActiveXplorers, KallKwik and Discover My Franchise), wrote the following on LinkedIn: “This is a brilliant opportunity for us all to come together as a community and shine a spotlight on the power of franchising – supporting our incredible franchisees, small-business owners and the people behind the brands. … Let’s all get behind it, mark our calendars, and start thinking about how we can make the day truly special in our networks. Together, we can raise the profile of franchising and celebrate the amazing impact it has on communities everywhere.” Davies mentions IFA President and CEO Matthew Haller as a leader of the initiative; in a reply post, Haller says, “There’s never been a more important time to come together as franchise organizations across the globe to celebrate World Franchise Day and the contributions and stories of franchise businesses to the local communities they support!”
From the other side of the world, in Auckland, New Zealand, Stewart Germann, a lawyer specializing in franchising, licensing and business law, joined the LinkedIn conversation. He chimed in to cheer on the celebration while noting perhaps a bit of surprising information that New Zealand is “the most franchised country in the world per capita with 546 franchised brands contributing to 11% of our GDP!”
Franchising in U.S. and Canada
In a Q&A blog about World Franchise Day, the Canadian Franchise Association emphasizes the importance of franchisees as small-business owners who contribute to their local economies. “Franchising empowers local entrepreneurs to thrive while benefiting from the support of an established system. Working tirelessly to drive economic growth and create job opportunities in their communities, franchisees embody the true spirit of entrepreneurship, using innovation, dedication and hard work to succeed. What sets franchising apart is its unique model, allowing entrepreneurs to be in business for themselves, but not by themselves, with access to mentorship, training and operational support that sets them up for success,” the Canadian Franchise Association blog states. “As Canada’s 12th largest industry, franchising will contribute over $133 billion to the economy this year and create jobs for almost 2 million Canadians. Join us in celebrating this thriving industry on June 11, 2025!”
In the United States, franchising is projected to account for more than $936 billion in economic output (total revenue from goods and services sold) this year, a 4.4% increase over its $896.9 billion in 2024, according to the IFA’s 2025 Economic Outlook report. The IFA report attributes more than 9 million jobs to the approximately 851,000 franchise units operating in the United States this year.
