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The real numbers on owning a Learning Express franchise
Toys & Educational Products Retail · FDD 2020 · from public state filings
DDisclosure honesty
This franchisor discloses earnings (Item 19) — but read how.
★★☆☆☆FranchiseValidate transparency rating: 2/5
Investment
$181,794–$318,594
Total fees
6% of sales
Outlets
103
Closure signals
10 ceased, 0 terminated
Lawsuits
0
Is Learning Express worth it? How it compares to 44 similar franchises
Ongoing fees
6% of sales
lower than most (median 9%)
Startup cost
from $181,794
about average (median $181,794)
Disclosure honesty
Grade D
less honest than most of the category
Closure rate
9.7% of outlets
worse than 88% of peers
Disclosed lawsuits
0
fewer than most
Benchmarked against every children's education & childcare franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Average/median sales 2017-2019 reported. 41% stores exceeded average ($730k). No profit/expense analysis provided. Data unaudited; toy industry noted for fluctuating sales.
Honesty grade D: the disclosed numbers are incomplete or framed to look better than an owner's real take-home.
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
10 closures in 2019; declining system (121→103 outlets 2017-2019). 3-year average 8 closures/year.
Get the full Learning Express validation report — $149
The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: Average/median sales 2017-2019 reported. 41% stores exceeded average ($730k). No profit/expense…
🔒 Real estimated owner take-home (low / median / high) — unlocked in the report
Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI on your investment
Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
Decoded real failure / closure rate
How it ranks vs comparable franchises
Validation-call playbook — who to call + the exact questions
The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $181,794–$318,594, including a $35,000 initial franchise fee.
How much do Learning Express franchise owners make?
Average/median sales 2017-2019 reported. 41% stores exceeded average ($730k). No profit/expense analysis provided. Data unaudited; toy industry noted for fluctuating sales. We grade this disclosure D for honesty.
What is the Learning Express franchise failure rate?
10 closures in 2019; declining system (121→103 outlets 2017-2019). 3-year average 8 closures/year.
Is a Learning Express franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Learning Express scores D on disclosure honesty, carries about 6% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: MN CARDS 10921-202003-02 (Clean FDD 2020). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Learning Express or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.