Returning college students and the spike in back-to-school retail sales drives sales of our authentic French macarons

Fall is a busy time of year for retailers, and Woops! macaron franchise is no exception. As students return to campus and families shop for back-to-school supplies and clothes, retail business traffic spikes.

Woops! Bakeshop co-owner Ellie Lippel looks forward to students returning to the Tucson area every fall because with them comes increased in-store traffic. She was recently interviewed by Tucson News Now about the positive impact back-to-school season has on her business. It’s not all about an increase in revenue, however. It also heralds the return of regular customers with whom she and her team have built a rapport, and the opportunity to wow new customers with the Woops! brand.

“The familiar faces are great. The students come into our shop — we have really close relationships with our customers — they come in, and it’s like family. It’s just a good warm feeling. And then there’s all the new students who come in for the first time, and they’re very excited,” Lippel said.

College students also have money to spend when they head off campus, and they love spending it on food, especially snacks. College students spend more than $11 billion a year on snacks and beverages, according to StateUniversity.com. With many Woops! franchises, such as the Tucson-, Nashville- and Knoxville-area locations in college towns, this could lead to increased revenue.

School functions, fall holidays and fundraisers mean catering opportunities

In addition to regular foot traffic and in-house orders, Lippel told Tucson News Now that she and her team have been working on catering orders — another revenue stream opportunity for Woops! owners. Greek organizations and other campus groups place special orders at Woops! as they kick off the new semester and host parties, open houses and other special events.

The back-to-school rush means more sales and more excitement for her team as they create custom-logo macarons and other menu items for organizations.

“We just kind of kick into gear. You get more staff. You start ordering more. It’s just a general feeling of excitement, and I love that in the beginning of the year,” she said.

Fall also is a busy season for special promotion opportunities related to holidays such as  Halloween and Thanksgiving. Additionally, Woops! is known for giving back to the community. The Tucson-area Woops! is just one of many nationwide who host fundraisers and other creative marketing events to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Last year Woops! locations nationwide turned all 20 of their assorted macaron flavors pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, donating a dollar to charity for each special-edition box sold. At Lippel’s Tucson-area franchise, the macarons made their appearance Oct. 13-15 in conjunction with the University of Arizona’s Family Weekend. The shop hosted macaron decorating with edible markers, blind taste-testing and raffles to engage with the local community, as well as with visiting University of Arizona parents.

Since our founding in 2012, Woops! has grown to more than 43 locations across the country and is uniquely poised to grow in the $310 billion domestic baking industry. Woops! is rapidly expanding far beyond our proven success in the highly competitive New York City and Tri-State areas, and we’ve targeted 30 additional locations by the end of 2018.

Woops! is seeking savvy entrepreneurs and investors who are excited by the idea of bringing European-style treats and coffee to American consumers. While we don’t require baking experience, we do look for people with managerial experience and an entrepreneurial spirit. We want people who will follow the Woops! proven business model, who want to grow a team, who love people and want to support their communities while creating a great life for themselves and their families.

Want to open a Woops! boutique macaron kiosk in your city?

For in-depth details about the Woops! franchise opportunity, download the free franchise report. You also can learn more by visiting the Woops! franchise research pages.