Introduction
Husse UK – part of the global Husse pet food and products organisation – needed franchise territory mapping software that would allow them to easily and quickly create franchise territories themselves based on the requirements of their franchisees and prospects.
They turned to Tech4T in 2016 and since then have used their industry leading Territory Runner system to develop a thriving franchise network across the UK.
About Husse
Established in Sweden in 1987, Husse is a global leader in the manufacture and direct delivery of high quality nutritional pet foods – and a growing range of animal accessories and products – to dog, cat, and horse owners around the world.
From humble beginnings, the family business has grown to today having a presence in more than 50 countries, with tens of thousands of regular customers buying from more than 1,500 local franchise owners and distributors, rather than through traditional sales networks and shops. This approach ensures quality is maintained and products are competitively priced, with everything delivered directly to the customer’s door.
Husse UK (England and Scotland) was established in 2012 by a partnership that includes Dr Majid Rajaby, a registered vet, who were keen to bring the brand to the UK and provide pet owners with access to the range of accessories and Scandinavian recipe pet foods and feeds not available anywhere else. These include wet and dry cat and dog foods and treats specifically designed for animals with particular health conditions or requiring a diet containing certain natural ingredients and nutrients.
This focus on animal healthcare and the use of high quality ingredients, delivered to your door by knowledgeable Husse representatives, has led to the company developing an enviable reputation for quality and service amongst pet owners.
The Challenge
As Husse products are not available in shops or via traditional sales routes, Husse UK needed to establish a network of franchise owners around the country as quickly as possible, all of whom would have the same opportunity to make their local sales territory a success.
However, rather than having pre-established franchise territories created for them by their franchise mapping partner, Managing Director Dr Rajaby and his team wanted the flexibility to create franchise territories themselves and base these on the specific requirements of each franchisee.
In addition, they wanted mapping software that didn’t require ongoing expensive support from the service provider, but instead was easy-to-use and configurable to their needs.
The Solution
Recognising that the client wanted to design franchise territories themselves as and when required, Tech4T provided the Husse UK team with a version of their innovative Territory Runner franchise territory mapping system, along with key data that would enable them to precisely define the territories they wanted.
This included in-depth postcode level demographic data and household counts that even showed the composition of different house types in each area, such as detached and semi-detached homes. This was important because although 60% of all households in the UK have a pet, those living in certain house types with gardens are more likely to have a dog or cat, and therefore be ideal potential customers for Husse franchisees.
And to ensure the Husse UK team could maximise the value of this data, Tech4T provided them with comprehensive training on the Territory Runner system, that included showing them the following features:
- How to view and interrogate the fully interactive and zoomable maps, down to postcode level.
- How to create custom designed franchise territories of any shape or size.
- How to see the demographic and household data at any level and print this off along with a map of any territory.
- How to use the other tools in the system to support their business growth, such as identifying areas that offered high sales potential or were available for future sale.
- How to use the search facilities to quickly identify which franchisees were best placed to serve potential customers who made sales enquiries via the national website.
Client Benefits
The benefits to Husse UK of the Territory Runner system and the training provided included:
- The ability to send franchising prospects a detailed map and robust demographics data of their proposed territory so they can see for themselves their sales potential. This includes data on how many target households are in each area.
- The ability to easily see the locations and boundaries of existing and proposed franchise territories and amend these when required to ensure the best coverage.
- The ability to easily design new franchise territories based on hard data and in-built tools such as heatmapping. This visually shows in an easy-to-understand way where there are high concentrations of potential customers, as well as areas to avoid.
- The ability to combine demographic information with street level map data from systems such as Microsoft’s Streetside to support marketing campaigns. Particularly useful when selecting the best areas within a territory for leaflet drops, Google local ads, or any other local promotional activities carried out by franchisees.
- The ability to show detailed Ordnance Survey data when zooming into a territory on an interactive map, providing a more granular level of detail that is helpful for franchisees who want greater understanding of their territory.
- The ability to easily switch data sources and edit data on the maps so they can choose which information to share with potential franchisees.
- The ability to easily print off maps and data sheets for use in franchise contracts and documentation.
Client Feedback
Dr Majid Rajaby, Managing Director of Husse UK (England and Scotland)
“Tech4T’s Territory Runner system is a very powerful and useful tool that has enabled us to grow to more than 50 franchise territories in the UK.
“And it is so simple and straightforward to use, and we received great training and support from Tech4T.
“Now we can quickly and easily create franchise territories, make amendments to them whenever we need to, and even change the data that each is based on.
“This is brilliant for us and enables us to provide potential franchisees with exactly the information they want to see down to postcode level, as well as allows us to easily see in a visual way where there are franchise opportunities and gaps.
“The system also allows us to quickly see which territory a potential customer is in or close to, which means we can direct their sales enquiry to the right franchisee, which is great for them.
“What’s more, Tech4T have proved to be a very friendly and responsive partner to us, and like their Territory Runner system, they are very reliable.
“We use the system everyday and wouldn’t be without it. It does exactly what we want it to, is highly cost-effective and simple to use, and enables us to grow our business based on robust franchise territory data and intelligence.”
About Tech4T
Tech4T is a data analytics company specialising in UK and global franchise territory design, location planning, and field force (sales team) optimisation.
Each bespoke solution we provide – for franchise mapping or franchise territory optimisation or any of our other location intelligence services – is underpinned by advanced demographic and customer targeting to maximise sales growth.
Our industry-leading interactive mapping software is coupled with first class customer service, and we work closely with our clients to ensure their franchise territory design, sales territories, and locations are optimised for the greatest success.
Find out more about the Tech4T franchise here.
