Apricot Lane Fashion Boutique

By and large, franchisers follow a simple philosophy: Find a formula that works, and then make all your franchisees stick to it. No such slavish conformity at Apricot Lane. This apparel retailer has 45 franchised boutiques — each with a decidedly singular character. “We're not like Burger King,” said Ken Petersen, CEO of Vacaville, Calif.–based Country Visions, Apricot Lane’s parent. “The product mix isn't the same in every store.” Each unit has the feel of an exclusive, independent specialty shop, and that is exactly what customers love, Petersen says.

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Apricot Lane stores currently can be found in outlets, lifestyle centers, regional malls, value centers, tourist spots, downtown locations and some strip centers.

This is the first Arizona location for Apricot Lane, which is a national franchise with stores in nearly 20 other states. The boutique carries trendy, name-brand clothing, jewelry, handbags, shoes and some home decor and gift items.

After sifting through thousands of names, company executives settled on a new name: Apricot Lane. "It was a tough decision for us, because we were pretty attached to the Country Clutter name," says Petersen. "It was an important move for us."

Country Clutter, a franchise business operated by Country Visions of Vacaville, California, is ranked #1 in Gifts & Flowers this year. Country Clutter received the #1 rating for three years in the category formerly known as Retail Gifts.

"In terms of a business format, franchising is the best guarantee of success," says Chalwood, president and COO of The Uniglobe Group, an international travel retailer. "You're in business for yourself -but not by yourself. But the bottom line is that for franchisors to be successful, franchisees have to be successful."