Country Visions Franchise Cost & 2026 FDD Data
25/100
Weakest tier
25 this brand54 Retail medianlikely 19–31: narrower with more SBA loans (high confidence)
Higher is better · an editorial assessment, not investment advice
#3,026 of 3,069 graded brands
Why an F: Helped by scale, legal record and transparency. Held back by unit growth. See all six factors
- Total investment
- $150K – $342K
- Avg gross sales
- $606K
- 20 Top 20 outlets; not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 47.8%
48% SBA 7(a) loans to Country Visions owners charged off (11 of 23 resolved loans, approved FY1997 to FY1999); Retail median 14.7%.
Data from the FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records. Analysis by FranchiseVerdict · Methodology · Website · Report an error · Franchisor? Claim this listing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026 FDD
Per the 2026 FDD, a Country Visions franchise requires a total initial investment of $150K – $342K, including a $40K franchise fee. Once open, the ongoing royalty is 5.5%. Per the 2026 FDD, average gross sales were $606K (Item 19: 20 Top 20 outlets; gross sales, not profit). SBA 7(a) loans show a 47.8% charge-off rate on 23 resolved loans. Verdict grade: F (Weakest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice.
Sources: 2026 FDD · SBA 7(a) loan records (FOIA) · What one unit could make and lose →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low (issued within the last 12 months)
Evidence for the headline figures: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored7 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
Quick verdict · vs Retail median
Top edge: green = better than the Retail median by more than 10%, red = worse by more than 10%, gray = within 10% or no benchmark. Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a).
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Methodology
Bottom line
- RETURNSAverage gross sales of $606K/year (Item 19: 20 Top 20 outlets; gross sales, not profit).
- GROWTHIn the latest Item 20 year, the number of franchised outlets fell by 24 (3 opened, 27 closed).
- FLAG25 units terminated last reporting year (22.9% of the franchised outlets open at the start of that year). Ask existing franchisees why.
AT STAKEOne unit at the Item 7 midpoint: $32K a year in payments on assumed SBA 7(a)-style terms.You put in about $49K of your own cash and personally guarantee a $197K loan. Assumptions are labeled in Sales; not investment advice.See what one unit could make and lose
Things to check before you sign (3)
- Net -24 franchised outlets in 2025 (Item 20, outlet counts). Ask owners why outlets closed.
- SBA 7(a) charge-off 47.8% on 23 resolved loans approved FY1997 to FY1999, above the Retail median of 14.7% (42 brands).
- The franchisor keeps the right to compete inside your territory (Item 12, territory).
Checked and clear: no auditor doubt that the franchisor can keep operating, no lawsuit naming the franchisor in Item 3, no supplier rebates to the franchisor and the full filing on file, and an Item 19 average from 50 units. Not on file here, so ask: jury-trial waiver and owner-operator rule.
What to do next
Step 1: Read the FDD itself.
Free: the franchisor must give it to you at least 14 days before you sign or pay. Or look it up in a state registry (Wisconsin, Minnesota, California). What to read first.
Step 2: Talk to current and former owners.
Free: Item 20 of the FDD lists every current owner and those who left last year, most with a phone number. Questions to ask.
Step 3: Talk to an SBA lender.
Free: the SBA's Lender Match, or the lenders already lending to this brand in the SBA section. Ask what you would personally guarantee and what the monthly payment would be. If you plan to use retirement savings, ask a CPA about the rules for that first.
Step 4: Have a franchise attorney review the FDD and agreement.
Free: your state bar's lawyer referral service can name franchise lawyers, and many offer a short first consultation. Bring the checks listed above.
Research steps, not investment or legal advice.
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost (the Item 7 midpoint) is 20% below the Retail median ($309K).
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7 (fees and startup costs)
Do you qualify? The filing states no minimum net worth or liquid capital. Ask Country Visions, Inc. (Item 1: 1339 Oliver Road, Suite A, Fairfield, California 94534) and your lender what they require, and keep living costs for the first year outside the deal.
Full Item 7 breakdown22 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $39.5K | $39.5K | |
| Real Estate/1st month rent | $0 | $10K | |
| Deposits (Lessor, Utilities, Providers) | $0 | $5K | |
| Store Designer/Architect | $0 | $12K | |
| Construction/Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $80K | |
| Cash Wrap/associated millwork package | $6K | $15K | |
| Flooring & Installation | $0 | $10K | |
| Display Fixture Package, Bags and Boxes | $4K | $15K | |
| Computer & Software | $8K | $12K | |
| Centralized Buying Service Fees | $5K | $5K | |
| Initial Inventory | $35K | $45K | |
| Insurance Deposit | $0 | $3.5K | |
| Exterior Signs | $5K | $14K | |
| Expenses While Training | $2.5K | $5K | |
| Grand Opening, Pre- and Post-Opening Marketing | $15K | $15K | |
| On-Site Store Opening and Visual Merchandising | $3.45K | $4.5K | |
| Initial Store Marketing & POP materials | $1.5K | $1.8K | |
| Office Equipment, Furniture & Supplies | $1K | $2.5K | |
| Lease Negotiations and Lease Legal | $3K | $4.5K | |
| In Store Music/Video System | $500 | $2K | |
| Total initial investment | $150K | $342K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. The total row is the total as printed in Item 7. Actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 6 · what you pay once you are open
Ongoing fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.5% of gross revenues |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross revenues |
| Transfer fee | $30,000 |
| Total fee loadnear the Retail median of 7.0% | 6.5% of sales |
What do units actually make?
Average gross sales are 26% below the Retail median ($814K).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19 (sales and earnings)
Items 6 (other fees), 7 (startup costs) and 19 (sales and earnings) · assumptions labeled
What you could make and lose: one unit
What one Country Visions unit would ask of you, from the filing's Item 7 total and labeled assumptions.
Average gross sales are $606K (FDD p.40), and the royalty and ad fund take about $39K of that a year (Item 6). This brand's Item 19 does not print cost lines. Enter your own from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners. So this box does not estimate a profit. To cover the loan payment alone, one unit has to clear $32K a year after its food, labor, rent and other costs and the franchisor's fees.
How these figures are worked out
- Loan (assumption): 80% of the $246K Item 7 midpoint is a $197K loan, paid over 10 years at 10.5%: $32K a year. SBA 7(a)-style terms on a long-term rate; your lender sets yours. Country Visions' past SBA 7(a) loans averaged 5.6% at approval; 7(a) rates move with the prime rate, so 10.5% is a current-rate assumption, not this brand's history.
What you put at risk
Your own cash in: about $49K Assumption (the part the loan does not cover of the $246K Item 7 midpoint), plus whatever anything Item 7 leaves out (its notes say what). The loan is $197K.
Personal guarantee. SBA 7(a) loans require a personal guarantee from anyone who owns 20% or more of the business. If the unit cannot pay, the lender can collect from you personally, which can include your savings and your home. The worst case is losing the cash you put in and still owing the rest of the loan.
Gross sales are not profit, and none of these figures is take-home pay until tax and every operating cost are paid. The assumptions are ours, not the filing's. Not investment advice.
Returns modelOne unit · several units · editable
One unit
One unit: what is left after the loan payment
Gross sales, minus the franchisor's fees and the operating costs, is the unit's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). Minus an assumed loan payment, that is what is left for you, before tax. Gross sales are not profit.
This brand's Item 19 does not print cost lines. Enter your own from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners. Invested capital is the Item 7 total, which already includes its working-capital (additional funds) line.
Returns model · one unit
What would one Country Visions unit leave you each year after the loan payment?
Item 19: $606,222 average for 20 outlets (Top 20). Use a figure for outlets like yours if yours differ.
Gross sales, not profit: the costs below decide what is left.
This brand's Item 19 does not print cost lines. Enter your own from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners.
Illustrative category typicals, not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Item 7 midpoint of $150K to $342K
Item 7's $20K to $40K additional funds are already in the total
Left after the loan payment · per year
The unit's EBITDA minus the assumed loan payment. Before tax, depreciation and any cost your inputs leave out (insurance, accounting and legal, licenses, technology fees): not take-home pay.
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies direct costs, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
Loan of $197K at 10.5% over 10 years, an assumption, not a quote. Return and payback are before tax, depreciation and the costs above. The loan usually needs your personal guarantee.
Buying several existing units? The acquisition scenario
Buying several units
What buying a few existing units could return
Prices an existing operator of a few units off the single-unit EBITDA above, after shared services, and finances it with an SBA 7(a) loan, a conventional loan and a seller note. It shows the yearly return on your cash (IRR), whether year-1 earnings cover the loan payments (DSCR) and how the price is paid for. It starts at 5 units; every deal term is an assumption you can change, and none is from the FDD.
Not modelled yet
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies direct costs, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
This scenario starts from a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in the one-unit model above and it runs on that figure, or take it to the full ROI workbench, where the multi-unit and acquisition models accept your own per-unit economics.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD · filed by Country Visions, Inc.
Financial performance
- Range (low → high)
- $74K→$1.2MSource: 2026 FDD, page 40
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
Percentile ranks within Retail
Each rank is among the Retail brands that report that figure (the count is under each bar).
vs Retail medians
How Country Visions compares
Category median of published Retail brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Who are you contracting with?
Country Visions, Inc.
Same franchisor, other program: Apricot Lane Boutique. Each is a separate offering with its own page.
Item 1 (the franchisor) · who you're contracting with
The franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Country Visions, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Country Clutter
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President and CEO
- Christopher Lanning
- Incorporated in
- California
- HQ
- 1339 Oliver Road, Suite A, Fairfield, California 94534
Overview
About
Retail store selling fashion apparel and accessories, bath and body products, gifts, wall decor and other merchandise under the mark "Apricot Lane Boutique"
- CEO
- Christopher Lanning
Is the system healthy?
-27 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (112 to 85, -24.1% in total, -12.9% a year compounded).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20 (outlets opened, closed and transferred)
Item 20 (outlet counts) · unit dynamics
The growth chart
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
Item 20 · franchised units at year end
Franchised units fell from 112 in 2023 to 85 in 2025
Axis does not start at zero.
Source and method
A system that lost more than 10% of its franchised outlets across the Item 20 years is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
Government records
SBA loan data
Lenders charged off 47.8% of 23 resolved SBA 7(a) loans, above the 14.7% category median. 7(a) is the SBA's main small-business loan; a resolved loan was paid in full or charged off.
- Loans on file
- 26
- SBA 7(a) loans matched to this brand, incl. those still being repaid
- Loan volume
- $4.2M
- Average loan
- $163K
- loan volume divided by loans
- Charge-off rate
- 47.8%
- 11 of 23 resolved loans
- Paid in full
- 52.2%
- of resolved loans
- Recent-loan charge-off
- No recent loans
- no SBA 7(a) loan approved since FY1999
- Lenders
- 13
- Average interest rate
- 5.6%
- Jobs reported
- 96
- Lender concentration
- 26%
- top lender's share
Cumulative: every 7(a) loan matched to this brand in the SBA’s FOIA files, approved FY1991 onward. Historical lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
Benchmark: the median Retail brand charges off 14.7% (42 brands with a published rate, same cumulative window and source). This brand is 33.1 points above it.
Top lenders financing Country Visions franchisees Each lender’s rate counts only its own resolved loans; a 0.0% often means few of that lender’s loans have been resolved, not that none will fail. A lender with fewer than 10 resolved loans reads “Too few”.
Showing 3 of 13 lenders. The full SBA lending report below lists the top 10 by loan count, with states and the yearly trend.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
A 47.8% charge-off rate means about 1 in 2 resolved SBA 7(a) loans to this brand was charged off. The approval-year chart above shows which years they came from.
What are the risks?
Main risk: a shrinking system. Franchised outlets fell from 112 to 85 over the two years to 2025.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Verdict grade + FDD Items 3 (litigation), 4 (bankruptcy), 8 (required suppliers), 16 (what you may sell), 21 (audited financials)
Risk and legal
Grade F: Weakest tier, 25/100 (category median 54); the full grade is at the top of the page.
How the grade is built
Why an F, factor by factor
- Financial health NeutralAudited financials; no going-concern doubt; statements are the parent's, so this stays near neutral
- Unit economics NeutralAvg gross sales $606K on a $246K investment midpoint, 2.5x (gross sales, not profit)
- Unit growth Weighs on it, weakest dimension-27 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (112 to 85, -24.1% in total, -12.9% a year compounded); turnover 31.8%
- Scale Helps85 franchised units; franchising since 1996
- Legal HelpsNo litigation naming the franchisor in Item 3
- Transparency HelpsItem 19 discloses financial performance; audited financials
- Adjustments after the six dimensions (-16 points)SBA loan record: the SBA charge-off rate (47.8% on 23 resolved loans approved FY1997 to FY1999) is between 20% and 50%, a range the score counts against a brand, so it took 15 points off. The score uses fixed ranges, not the category median, so a rate below its category median can still cost points.Rounding: the score is kept as a whole number, which moved it by 1 point.
From the six scored dimensions, an editorial assessment, not investment advice. How the score is built
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results; the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Franchisor takes supplier rebates: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before your own operating costs.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12 (territory), 15 (owner participation) and 17 (renewal, termination and disputes)
Contract and territory detail
| Allowed renewals | 2 |
|---|---|
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territory | No |
| Territory radius | 1–2 mi |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Non-compete (years) | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles) | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusal | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 10 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Solano County, California |
| Governing law | California |
Items 10 (financing), 11 (training and support)
Training and operations
- On-the-job training
- 55 hrs
- Training location
- Virtual, Webinars, Online, Fashion District, in-Boutique
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisor-recommended national real estate broker; franchisee ultimately responsible
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 (initial fees) & 11 (training and support)
Franchisor support
Franchisee contacts
We hold no owner list for this brand. Item 20 of the FDD lists the current and former owners; the free FDD is the source.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a Country Visions franchise?
Per the 2026 FDD, the total investment to open a Country Visions franchise ranges from $150K to $342K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This is the Item 7 total in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): the startup costs the franchisor lists, such as build-out, equipment, inventory and working capital. It usually leaves out buying land or a building; Item 7's notes say what is excluded.
What do Country Visions franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Country Visions FDD, average gross sales were $606K (20 Top 20 outlets; gross sales, not profit). What an owner keeps depends on location, operating costs and management.
Who owns Country Visions?
Country Visions is franchised by Country Visions, Inc. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Country Visions FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Country Visions FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Country Visions' franchise failure rate?
There is no published franchise failure rate. What is measurable is Country Visions' SBA charge-off rate: 47.8% on 23 resolved loans approved FY1997 to FY1999. Put plainly: 48% SBA 7(a) loans to Country Visions owners charged off (11 of 23 resolved loans, approved FY1997 to FY1999). The SBA charge-off rate is the share of a brand's resolved SBA 7(a) loans to its franchisees that the SBA wrote off, including purchased guarantees. Resolved means paid in full or charged off; active loans are excluded because their outcome is not yet known. It is a lending outcome, not a count of closed businesses. A franchisee can repay and close, or default and keep trading.
How many Country Visions franchise locations are there?
Per the 2026 FDD, Country Visions has 85 franchised units and 0 company-owned (85 in all). In the latest year, the number of franchised outlets fell by 24 (3 opened, 27 closed).
Is Country Visions a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict gives Country Visions an F Verdict grade (Weakest tier) with a verdict score of 25 out of 100 (higher is better), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Helped by scale (85 franchised units), legal record and transparency. Held back by unit growth (-27 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025: 112 to 85, -24.1% in total, -12.9% a year compounded). The “Why an F” section on this page lists all six dimensions and any adjustment. Speak with current franchisees before making any investment decision.
Other Retail franchises
Similar investment first, then by grade
This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.