Are there any purchasing cooperatives applicable to the Apricot Lane franchised business?
Apricot_Lane Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ranchised Business.
COUNTRY VISIONS negotiates purchase arrangements for your benefit with suppliers, including merchandise vendors, the recommended architect, general contractor and leasing consultant. We have arranged for volume discounts from some suppliers. There are no purchasing cooperatives applicable to the Franchised Business.
Owners or officers of COUNTRY VISIONS may have minority ownership interests in a variety of publicly traded companies. Some of these publicly traded companies or their affiliates could be approved or designated suppliers to APRICOT LANE franchisees. Other than this type of minority ownership, no officer or owner of COUNTRY VISIONS has any ownership interest in any of your suppliers.
There are no purchasing or distribution cooperatives. We do not provide material benefits to you based on your purchase of particular products or services or the use of particular suppliers.
None of our officers currently own an interest in any supplier.
ITEM 9 FRANCHISEE'S OBLIGATIONS
This table lists your principal obligations under the franchise and other agreements. It will help you find more detailed information about your obligations in these agreements and in other items of this Disclosure Document. Section references are to the Franchise Agreement unless otherwise noted.
| Your Obligations | Section in Agreement | Disclosure Document Item | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a. | Site Selection and Acquisition/Lease | Section 4 in Franchise Agreement, Exhibit A to Franchise Agreement | Items 5, 6, 12 |
| Your Obligations | Section in Agreement | Disclosure Document Item | |
|---|---|---|---|
| b. | Pre-Opening Purchases/Leases | Sections 5, 6.D, 14.H, 14.M in Franchise Agreement | Items 6, 8 |
| c. |
Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 17–20)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Apricot Lane's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, there are no purchasing cooperatives applicable to the franchised business. However, Country Visions, the franchisor, negotiates purchase arrangements with suppliers, including merchandise vendors, the recommended architect, general contractor, and leasing consultant, for the benefit of its franchisees. These arrangements include volume discounts from some suppliers.
Apricot Lane franchisees are required to purchase certain specified products and services from Country Visions or its affiliates. These include software, web marketing, the gift card program, store merchandise, visual merchandise, supplies, and certain construction and improvement activities from approved suppliers. Franchisees are not permitted to contract with suppliers outside of Country Visions' approved list.
While there are no purchasing cooperatives, Country Visions has the right to derive revenue from required franchisee purchases. In 2024, Country Visions received $0 in revenue from sales to franchisees, which represented less than 1% of their total revenue of $3,073,192. Although Country Visions did not receive any rebates from vendors based on franchisee purchases in 2024, they retain the right to do so in the future.