Q&A: Does Swarovski Franchise in the UK?

If you love all things shimmery, shiny and sparkly and you’re interested in starting a luxury business that specialises in selling beautiful crystal jewellery, why not start your own Swarovski franchise? Running your own business through the franchise business model is an exciting opportunity in any sector, but especially in one as profitable and thriving as the jewellery sub-sector of the retail industry.

If you’re interested in becoming your own boss and working within a dynamic, ever-expanding sector of industry in which UK customers spent upwards of £6 billion in 2020 [Statista], why not franchise with a well known brand like Swarovski? Here’s everything you need to know about the Austrian jewellery franchise, compiled in one convenient place.

Does Swarovski franchise in the UK?

Yes, Swarovski does franchise in the UK. In fact, the highly recognisable brand has partnered with more than 170 countries during its global expansion, including the USA and the UK. The franchise first came to the UK in the 80s, and ever since, Swarovski has been proudly supporting its UK Retail Partners, enabling them to grow and thrive. There are now just under 100 Swarovski stores open across the UK, and if you choose to become a franchisee with the unique franchise, you could be lucky number 100!

Founder Daniel Swarovski’s mastery of crystal cutting has [always] defined the company. His enduring passion for innovation and design has made it the world’s premier jewellery and accessory brand. Today, the family carries on the tradition of delivering extraordinary everyday style to women around the world.
- Swarovski

What is Swarovski’s history?

Swarovski is an Austrian company founded in 1895, and from day one, the business has grown almost unimaginably, becoming one of the world’s leading producers of beautifully fine crystal jewellery, crystal products and crystal lighting solutions. Since 2013, Swarovski has been really upping its game in terms of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). This is the year that The Swarovski Foundation was established. This foundation now supports many valuable schemes and institutions across the world, including:

• Central Saint Martins scholarships for students on Fashion and Jewellery Design courses 
• The Whitechapel Gallery’s Education and Community programmes 
• The Swarovski Waterschool education programme

On top of this, Swarovski is highly environmentally mindful and dedicated to sustainability, and as a result engages in the responsible production of diamonds, successfully avoiding mining. The Swarovski Foundation is ALSO proud to support a range of environmental projects and organisations, including: 

• The Nature Conservancy 
• The Jane Goodall Institute 
• The Blue Marine Foundation 
• The Sustainable Ocean Alliance 

Swarovski designs, manufactures and sells the highest quality crystal, genuine gemstones, created stones, and finished products such as jewellery and accessories. We recognize that the long-term success of our company is inseparable from the well-being of our customers, employees, the environment, and society.
- Swarovski

Starting a retail franchise unit with Swarovski UK

Not only are Swarovski products beautiful, the meaning behind each creation (along with the regular charitable work the business conducts) makes them all the better. If you’re interested in becoming a franchisee in the retail industry with this hugely well-loved and globally recognised household name, you’ll need to learn the answers to the following three questions...

1. How do you go about becoming a Swarovski franchisee?

You can become a Retail Partner with Swarovski provided that you have some retail experience and plenty of enthusiasm for decoration, jewellery and crystal. You should also be business minded, driven to succeed and willing to learn, with the desire to grow a long-term successful franchise business in the jewellery sub-sector and, most importantly, the financial means to make your investment happen.

Everybody's got a sparkling Swarovski story. We want to take all of those stories and bring them to life for our customers and our employees and anyone who's associated with the wider Swarovski family.
- Hayley Quinn, Swarovski

2. How much do you need to invest?

The average cost of starting a franchise was £42,200 in 2018 [British Franchise Association], though this figure is subject to an immense amount of variation depending on the industry, the investment type, the brand name and more. To become a Swarovski franchisee, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £130,000, with franchise fees of £26,000.

If you love all things jewellery and retail but you don’t have the budget for an investment as large as Swarovski, you could consider options like starting a Cash Converters franchise. To become a Cash Converters franchisee, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £39,000.

3. What do you get for your investment?

If you’ve decided Swarovski is the right investment for you, know that you’ll be joining an award-winning global business network with a huge range of accreditations and achievements. On top of this, you’ll undergo a comprehensive programme of training, offering you a wealth of information about not the brand and its values, plus all you’ll need to know in order to operate and grow your own successful branch of Swarovski. 

This training programme incorporates three learning styles: Self learning, classroom training and e-learning. In this way, it’s able to suit people and situations of all kinds, ensuring that all the necessary info is 100% available and accessible no matter what. Furthermore, you’ll receive ongoing support with administration, marketing, visual merchandising, promotional tools and more. Whatever you need, your franchisor will be on hand to provide. Whatever you don’t understand, your franchisor will be on hand to explain. Who could ask for more?

Why not start a franchise in the luxury retail sector?

If you’re leaving this article more set on Swarovski than ever, it might be time to take the plunge and get in touch. If you’re rethinking things, consider staying on Point Franchise and expanding your search into the wider world of retail franchise investment opportunities. From selling truffle products with Signorini Tartufi to managing a fleet of vending machines with Tubz Vending, there’s bound to be something to suit when you open yourself up to the many and various possibilities.