Despite a broad economic slowdown in the country, Hartland-based
Batteries Plus Bulbs continues to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic with plans to open 10 new stores across the U.S.
The new stores, which will be located in Minnesota, Arizona, California and Florida, are the result of five signed franchise agreements with single-unit and multi-unit operators.
As an essential business, a majority of Batteries Plus Bulbs’ 720 retail stores remained open during the pandemic – a decision that was made based on retail and commercial customer demand, the company
told BizTimes Milwaukee in June.
Hospitals needed to power ventilators and EKG machines, for example, while families were in need of batteries for home thermometers. To meet the needs of customers, Batteries Plus Bulbs stocked up on high-demand items and rolled out new systems including contactless curbside pickup and contactless point-of-sale systems across its entire store footprint.
To illustrate the company’s growth, Ryan Tollefson, who co-owns six locations across California, has signed on to open three more stores to fulfill the demand within the Sacramento area.
"Thankfully, we were deemed essential to keep serving the community and avoid furloughs,” Tollefson said in a statement. “In fact, I was able to hire in May as business picked up and months of steady sales continued.”
The company has signed a total of 20 franchise agreements in 2020 and is now on pace to sign an additional 20 by 2021, according to a press release.
"Whether it's new franchise owners joining Batteries Plus or expansion by our existing franchise family, it's a validation of the attractiveness of our business model. We are being seen as more than a quick-service retail business, based on our unique combination of products and services, paired with expertise and quality," said Scott Williams, CEO of Batteries Plus.
