May a Pearce Bespoke Franchisee be required to participate in e-commerce activities?

According to Pearce Bespoke's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees may be required to participate in e-commerce activities. Specifically, franchisees may be required to engage in e-commerce on their Pearce Bespoke Franchise website, as regulated by the Internet Code of Conduct. To facilitate this, franchisees must establish a separate online merchant account to process credit card payments through their website.

This requirement means that prospective Pearce Bespoke franchisees should be prepared to invest time and resources into developing and maintaining an e-commerce presence. This includes not only the initial setup of the website and merchant account but also ongoing compliance with the Internet Code of Conduct and other regulations. The franchisor retains control over the content and design of the Pearce Bespoke website and the franchisee's website templates, ensuring brand consistency across all online platforms.

Furthermore, franchisees are responsible for all expenses associated with the development and operation of their individual Pearce Bespoke Franchise website. This financial obligation should be factored into the overall cost of opening and running a Pearce Bespoke franchise. Franchisees must also ensure their website complies with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Given these requirements, prospective franchisees should carefully review the Internet Code of Conduct and understand the full scope of their e-commerce obligations. They should also inquire about the costs associated with website development, maintenance, and compliance to accurately assess the financial implications of operating a Pearce Bespoke franchise.