FASTSIGNS vs. Minuteman Press vs. The UPS Store
Three business-services franchises with detailed Item 19 disclosures. Every figure below comes from each brand’s own Franchise Disclosure Document, with its evidence tier. Where a brand did not disclose something, the cell says so.
FASTSIGNS (2026 FDD) lists a total initial investment of $231,225 to $386,285. Royalty plus ad fund total 8% of sales. Item 19 reports average unit sales of $1,088,585 across 690 units for CY2025. Franchised outlets moved from 677 to 710 between 2023 and 2025 (+33), with 54 openings, 21 exits and 96 transfers. Evidence confidence: High.
Minuteman Press (2026 FDD) lists a total initial investment of $138,351 to $216,346. Royalty plus ad fund total 6% of sales. Item 19 reports average unit sales of $769,858 across 609 units for CY2025. Franchised outlets moved from 717 to 775 between 2023 and 2025 (+58), with 89 openings, 31 exits and 159 transfers. Evidence confidence: High.
The UPS Store (2026 FDD) lists a total initial investment of $222,368 to $606,081. Royalty plus ad fund total 7.5% of sales. Item 19 reports average unit sales of $724,293 across 5,058 units for CY2025. Franchised outlets moved from 5,138 to 5,487 between 2023 and 2025 (+349), with 520 openings, 171 exits and 845 transfers. Evidence confidence: High.
| Metric | FASTSIGNS | Minuteman Press | The UPS Store |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Category | Business services FDD | Business services FDD | Business services FDD |
| FDD year | 2026 FDD | 2026 FDD | 2026 FDD |
| Total outlets (latest FY) | 710 FDD | 1,039 FDD | 5,503 FDD |
| Investment | |||
| Total investment (Item 7) | $231,225 – $386,285 FDD | $138,351 – $216,346 FDD | $222,368 – $606,081 FDD |
| Initial franchise fee (named Item 5 fee only) | $49,750 FDD | $48,500 FDD | $39,950 FDD |
| Fees | |||
| Royalty | 6% FDD | 6% FDD | 5% FDD |
| Ad / brand fund | 2% FDD | 0% FDD | 2.5% FDD |
| Royalty + ad fund Sum where both are a percent of sales |
8% Derived | 6% Derived | 7.5% Derived |
| Disclosed performance | |||
| Item 19 present | Yes FDD | Yes FDD | Yes FDD |
| Average unit sales (annual) Populations differ by brand — read each profile |
$1,088,585 FDD | $769,858 FDD | $724,293 FDD |
| Median unit sales | $823,726 FDD | $559,528 FDD | $692,858 FDD |
| Cost / profit data in Item 19 | Yes (see profile for population) FDD | Yes (see profile for population) FDD | No FDD |
| AUV ÷ midpoint investment | 3.53× Derived | 4.34× Derived | 1.75× Derived |
| System health (Item 20) | |||
| Franchised unit change | +33 (+4.9%) 2023–2025 Derived | +58 (+8.1%) 2023–2025 Derived | +349 (+6.8%) 2023–2025 Derived |
| Openings (period) | 54 FDD | 89 FDD | 520 FDD |
| Exits (period) Terminations + non-renewals + reacquisitions + ceased-other |
21 Derived | 31 Derived | 171 Derived |
| Avg. annual attrition | 1% Derived | 1.4% Derived | 1.1% Derived |
| Transfers (period) | 96 FDD | 159 FDD | 845 FDD |
| Operations | |||
| Owner involvement (Item 15) | Manager-run permitted FDD | Manager-run permitted FDD | Manager-run permitted FDD |
| Multi-unit program disclosed | Not disclosed / not offered N/D | Yes FDD | Yes FDD |
| Estimates | |||
| Economics model available | Yes — model estimate on profile | Yes — model estimate on profile | Yes — model estimate on profile |
| Ratings | |||
| Financial Disclosure Quality | 5 / 5 Derived | 5 / 5 Derived | 4 / 5 Derived |
| System Growth | 3 / 5 Derived | 4 / 5 Derived | 4 / 5 Derived |
| Unit Stability | 5 / 5 Derived | 5 / 5 Derived | 5 / 5 Derived |
| Investment Efficiency | 5 / 5 Derived | 5 / 5 Derived | 4 / 5 Derived |
| Evidence Confidence | High Derived | High Derived | High Derived |
Populations behind AUV figures differ (mature units, all units, gross vs. net sales). Growth and attrition are our arithmetic on Item 20. Open each profile for citations, caveats and the full Item 19 and Item 20 tables. Edit this comparison to swap brands.