Size and presence
Franchise networks take a median of 5.4 years from the second to the tenth unit
Years between the opening of the second and the tenth unit, median of the 382 networks with 30 or more active units and a first opening recorded since 1990
See the full table (8 rows)
| First unit opened in | Networks | Years to the 10th unit, median | 10th unit within 5 years | Networks with 30 or more units | Years to the 10th, median | 10th within 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 to 1994 | 139 | 18.7 | 5.8% | 62 | 15.0 | 11.3% |
| 1995 to 1999 | 162 | 17.0 | 4.9% | 80 | 14.1 | 6.2% |
| 2000 to 2004 | 167 | 16.1 | 3.0% | 52 | 12.3 | 5.8% |
| 2005 to 2009 | 214 | 11.9 | 12.6% | 69 | 7.5 | 21.7% |
| 2010 to 2014 | 304 | 9.9 | 17.8% | 65 | 5.8 | 35.4% |
| 2015 to 2019 | 385 | 9.6 | 22.3% | 42 | 4.0 | 61.9% |
| 2020 to 2024 | 271 | insufficient period | 11 | 1.6 | insufficient period | |
| 2025 to 2026 | 54 | insufficient period | 1 | fewer than 10 networks |
The CNPJ (Brazilian company registry) keeps the opening date of each establishment, including those that have already ceased activity. Once these dates are sorted, each network has its own sequence of openings, and the interval between one unit and the next measures the pace of expansion. The indicator calculates this interval for the networks measured by the observatory and summarizes it in milestones of 10, 30 and 100 units.
In the 382 networks with 30 or more active units whose first recorded opening is from 1990 onward, the median is 5.4 years from the second to the tenth unit and 2.8 years from the tenth to the thirtieth, which shows acceleration after the first ten units. From the thirtieth to the hundredth, a milestone that 180 of these networks have already reached, the median is 7.3 years. Among segments with at least ten networks, the interval from the second to the tenth unit ranges from 4.3 years in food, retail and distribution to 6.8 years in gyms and sports.
The time to the tenth unit decreases from one generation of networks to the next. Considering the 1,696 networks with a count from Receita Federal (the federal tax authority) and a first unit since 1990, including the smallest, the median goes from 18.7 years in networks whose first unit opened from 1990 to 1994 to 9.6 years in those from 2015 to 2019. In networks with 30 or more units the drop is larger, from 15.0 to 4.0 years, because the unit floor favors recent networks that grew quickly. In the 2015 to 2019 generation, 61.9% of the networks with 30 or more units reached the tenth unit within five years, compared with 22.3% among all networks.
How we calculate
In the open CNPJ data of Receita Federal (the federal tax authority), reference month October 2026, we read all the establishments that the observatory's census attributes to each network, using the same trade name expression and the same CNAE (national classification of economic activities) subclasses as the network profile, head office or branch, in any current registration status. In this way, units that are no longer active take their place in the order of openings. The time to the milestone of k units is the difference between the date of the first opening and that of the k-th; the intervals between milestones start from the date of the previous milestone. A network that has not yet reached a milestone enters as a censored observation up to the reference date, and the medians come from the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Networks with a first recorded opening before 1990 (121 of the measured networks) are left out of the medians, because the presence of establishments closed before the creation of the CNPJ is not guaranteed in the base. The share that reached the tenth unit within five years is only calculated for generations observed for at least that period, and cells with fewer than ten networks are not published.
What this figure does not show
- The date is the opening date of the CNPJ, which may precede entry into the network. Conversions of existing businesses and name changes bring the sequence forward.
- The first unit is usually the original store, which predates the franchise. In 45.5% of the networks analyzed the second opening came more than three years after the first, and in 84% of the 134 networks with an identified franchisor the first unit predates the franchisor company. For this reason the headline figure uses the interval from the second unit.
- Units that never used the brand in their trade name do not appear, and those that changed their name when leaving the network drop out of the sequence.
- Only networks operating today are included. Networks that ceased operations before October 2026 are not part of the set.
- The floor of 30 active units selects the networks that grew. The comparison with all networks with a Receita Federal count shows the size of this effect in recent generations.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a franchise network take to reach ten units?
In the 382 networks with 30 or more active units and a first opening since 1990, the median is 9.1 years from the first to the tenth unit and 5.4 years from the second to the tenth. The first unit is usually the original store, which predates the franchise, and counting from it lengthens the period.
Do franchise networks grow faster today than in the 1990s?
Yes, according to the opening dates. Considering all networks with a count from Receita Federal (the federal tax authority), the median time to the tenth unit goes from 18.7 years in networks whose first unit opened from 1990 to 1994 to 9.6 years in those from 2015 to 2019. Part of the difference arises because the set includes only networks operating today.
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Maintained by Marktech, which serves franchise networks and franchises. The brands cited belong to their owners and are mentioned here only to identify the network the data refers to.