Can a Zoomin Groomin franchisee use the internet to make sales outside their territory?
Zoomin_Groomin Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ast one (1) Vehicle in your Territory, but you may operate more if you desire to do so.
We do not grant you options, rights of first refusal, or similar rights to acquire additional franchises. You will receive an exclusive territory, meaning a geographic area within which we will not establish either a company-owned or franchised outlet selling the same or similar goods or services under the same or similar trademarks or service marks.
You may only operate your Outlet (the Vehicle) within your Territory. We may approve relocation of your Franchised Business if we feel that conditions have changed such that a relocation represents a sound business decision.
You and other franchisees may not accept orders from consumers outside of your Territory, nor may you use other channels of distribution, such as the Internet, catalog sales, telemarketing, or other direct marketing, to make sales outside your Territory, without our prior written permission. We may grant or deny permission in our sole judgment. In no event will you be permitted to offer Services to any Client within a developed territory owned by another unit franchisee. Should we grant permission for you to operate in an undeveloped neighboring territory, our permission will be freely revocable by us for any reason or no reason at all. Further, you will be required to immediately stop providing Services to any Client located outside of your Territory upon verbal or written notice from us that a new franchisee has purchased such territory, and you will provide a list of all customers previously served by you in such territory to the new franchisee.
Source: Item 12 — TERRITORY (FDD pages 32–34)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Zoomin Groomin Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are generally restricted from accepting orders from consumers outside of their designated territory. This restriction extends to various channels of distribution, including the internet, catalog sales, telemarketing, and other forms of direct marketing. To engage in sales outside of their territory through these channels, a franchisee must obtain prior written permission from Zoomin Groomin, which the company may grant or deny at its sole discretion.
Zoomin Groomin may grant permission for a franchisee to operate in an undeveloped neighboring territory, but this permission is freely revocable by Zoomin Groomin for any reason. If a new franchisee purchases the neighboring territory, the original franchisee must immediately cease providing services to clients in that area upon verbal or written notice from Zoomin Groomin. Furthermore, the original franchisee is required to provide a list of all customers previously served in the new franchisee's territory.
Zoomin Groomin, its parent company, and affiliates retain the right to use channels of distribution such as the internet, catalog sales, telemarketing, or other direct marketing sales to solicit or accept customers within a franchisee's territory using their principal trademarks without providing any compensation to the franchisee. Zoomin Groomin also reserves the right to implement cross-territorial protocols for situations like group advertising buys and solicitation of orders from individuals who may reside in one territory but work in another.