Bobbles and Lace Franchise, LLC Franchise Review (2026): Costs, Fees, Revenue Potential

• Category: Retail boutique / women's apparel
• Initial Investment: $203,175 to $460,000
• Franchise Fee: $25,000
• Royalty: Greater of 5% of Gross Sales or $500 minimum royalty
• Marketing / Ad Fee: 1% marketing fund contribution; recommended local advertising spend of 2% of Gross Sales
• Key additional recurring fees: $250 monthly technology fee; possible advertising cooperative contribution of 0% to 5% of Gross Sales; vendor charges may include a 10% administrative fee if collected by the franchisor
• Number of locations: 24 total at year-end 2024 (16 franchised, 8 company-owned)
• Best Fit: Owner-operator or manager-led owner with active oversight

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• The FDD shows an estimated initial investment range of $203,175 to $460,000 for a single territory.
• The initial franchise fee is $25,000.
• A meaningful cost driver is occupancy: the disclosure lists business site rental costs of $40,000 to $130,000 per year.
• Inventory and vendor spending also appear significant. The disclosure lists third-party vendor costs of $78,000 to $312,000 per year, and states the franchisor may require designated vendors.
• The FDD also lists additional funds of $25,000 to $50,000, which adds to the upfront capital requirement.

Overall, this reads as a mid-range startup cost franchise, but with a retail cost structure that can move materially depending on lease terms, inventory needs, and vendor spending.

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• Royalty fee: Greater of 5% of Gross Sales or $500 minimum royalty
• Marketing fund contribution: 1% of Gross Sales
• Local advertising: Recommended 2% of Gross Sales
• Advertising cooperative contribution: 0% to 5% of Gross Sales, with cooperative contributions credited against required local advertising expenditures
• Technology fee: $250 per month
• Additional/replacement training: $10,000 plus expenses
• Renewal fee: $10,000
• Transfer fee: $10,000 plus broker fees and expenses
• Late payment fee: $100 plus interest at the greater of 18% APR or the highest lawful rate
• Special support / inspection fees: $600 per day plus expenses in certain cases

The ongoing fee load is not especially high on its face if measured only by base royalty, marketing fund, and technology fees, but the total burden can rise with local advertising, cooperative contributions, and vendor-related charges.

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The FDD includes Item 19 financial performance information for 14 outlets covering calendar year 2024. These figures include Gross Sales/Income and expense lines, with net income shown for each location.

Revenue figures disclosed

• Average revenue: $667,691
• Median revenue: $600,596
• Range: $272,130 to $1,326,413

Revenue by unit shown in Item 19

• Westport, CT: $533,904
• Andover, MA: $519,208
• Boston, MA: $878,535
• Marblehead, MA: $456,854
• Newburyport, MA: $640,419
• Portland, ME: $985,194
• Portsmouth, NH: $741,846
• Newport, RI: $560,773
• Charleston, SC: $1,326,413
• Saratoga, NY: $889,637
• Atlanta, GA: $283,257
• Hingham, MA: $272,130
• Assembly Row, MA: $815,513
• West Chester, PA: $448,000

Net income figures disclosed

The FDD also shows net income by location. Based on the figures disclosed:

• Average net income: about $167,816
• Median net income: about $157,070
• Range: $(77,450) to $366,220

For the eight company-owned businesses, the FDD separately shows Net Income After Imputed Franchise Fees ranging from $53,034 to $288,631.

What the spread suggests

The spread is wide. Revenue ranges from roughly $272,000 to $1.33 million, and disclosed net income ranges from a loss to more than $366,000. That suggests location economics may depend heavily on site, rent, staffing, and local demand.

A few cautions matter here:

• Revenue is not profit. Even where sales are high, inventory, payroll, rent, shipping, and other operating costs are substantial.
• The Item 19 sample is limited to 14 outlets.
• The disclosure includes both company-owned and franchised outlet data, and the expense structures are not presented in exactly the same format across the two tables.
• The disclosure does not clearly establish whether these figures are audited.
• One table contains a formatting inconsistency in the gross profit line for West Chester, PA, so the revenue figures are clearer to rely on than every intermediate expense line.

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• Model: B2C retail
• Revenue pattern: Primarily transaction-based retail sales rather than contractual recurring revenue
• Operating setup: Fixed retail location with lease obligations, inventory purchasing, staffing, and ongoing local marketing
• Operational characteristics: The FDD indicates substantial owner time and attention, a designated principal executive, technology usage, and reliance on third-party vendors and suppliers

This is a store-based apparel retail model, so day-to-day execution likely centers on merchandising, staffing, inventory control, and site-level sales performance.

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Advantages

• Item 19 provides actual 2024 unit-level revenue and income figures for 14 outlets.
• The system had 24 total outlets at year-end 2024, including 16 franchised and 8 company-owned locations.
• Base recurring fees are relatively straightforward: 5% royalty, 1% marketing fund, and $250 monthly technology fee.
• The FDD shows an affiliate with operating history dating back to 2008, and eight company-owned businesses were included in the financial performance tables.

Considerations

• Startup costs are meaningful at $203,175 to $460,000, before considering the variability of lease and vendor costs.
• Results vary substantially across disclosed outlets, including one location with negative net income.
• This is a retail model with notable exposure to rent, payroll, inventory, shipping, and vendor costs.
• The owner is expected to devote substantial time and attention, which may limit passive ownership.
• Cooperative advertising can reach up to 5% of Gross Sales, even though it may offset local advertising requirements.

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• This franchise may fit someone comfortable with a store-based retail operation, inventory management, staffing, and active oversight.
• It may also fit an owner who wants a manager-led structure but still expects to stay closely involved through a principal executive role.

It likely does not fit someone seeking a low-cost, home-based, lightly staffed, or passive ownership model.

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• The franchisor may terminate without cause, which is a material contractual risk.
• The franchise agreement term is 10 years, so the commitment is long relative to the upfront investment.
• The franchisor may require use of designated third-party vendors and suppliers, which can affect purchasing flexibility.
• Some fees include administrative markups, including a 10% administrative fee in certain reimbursement or vendor-payment situations.
• Non-compliance can trigger layered charges, including a $500 non-compliance fee plus $250 per week until corrected.

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Bobbles & Lace presents a retail boutique model with a moderate upfront investment, a defined fee structure, and actual unit-level revenue and income data in Item 19. The main tradeoff is that the disclosure shows real top-line potential, but also meaningful variability and a hands-on operating model with exposure to rent, payroll, inventory, and location-specific performance.

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