Bonne Chimie expanding
Bonne Chimie, a Fort Wayne-based retailer, plans to open stores in four Midwestern metro areas in the next 12 months as a prelude to national franchising.
The company, founded in 2001, sells custom-blended skin care, hair care and cosmetics products to an upscale clientele.
Tom Coyle, an Indianapolis-based consultant, is working as Bonne Chimie’s executive director of retail development. He’s helping the company find partners in Indianapolis, Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit to start the expansion. After it has five locations, Bonne Chimie can begin franchising.
“To market a franchise, you really need to demonstrate that you’ve replicated the success,” Coyle said.
The new stores will be in malls with separate storefronts, not departments in larger retailers. The company already has an agreement with a partner in Indianapolis and expects to open a downtown location in early fall. Stores will likely open in Cleveland and Detroit before the end of the year.
Coyle expects the Chicago store will open early next year and franchises will follow soon after in the spring or summer. Some aspiring franchisees are already willing to commit to the company based on just the one store, he said.
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