Batteries Plus positive on plans for Fort Worth market

With one successful location on Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth, Hartland, Wis.-based Batteries Plus is charging up to install four to six new locations in the Fort Worth area in coming months.

Batteries Plus, a franchise battery retailer, has targeted the greater Fort Worth area for expansion plans and currently is searching for qualified franchisees.

“Fort Worth is primed for additional Batteries Plus expansion,” said CEO Russ Reynolds. “Our track record in similar markets, coupled with a significant and growing consumer demand for battery products and services, makes Batteries Plus a lucrative opportunity for ambitious entrepreneurs in the Fort Worth area.”

The U.S. battery market is a $25 billion industry – and growing. Once comprised of bulky batteries, the industry has shifted as technology has made small, sleek batteries possible and introduced a refreshed demand for batteries. From smart phones and iPods to laptop batteries, the nation’s mobility is being driven by smaller, more manageable batteries, said John Twist, vice president of franchise and business development for Batteries Plus.

“Business is good and it’s not because we’re brilliant, but because of the growing demand for replacement batteries for popular items like mobile devices,” Twist said. “When we are talking about batteries, we’re not talking about alkaline; we’re talking about batteries for laptops, digital cameras, cell phones. Battery technology has continued to evolve and today it provides more power in smaller sizes and when you’ve got a society like ours that is increasingly mobile, we’re just riding that trend of a growing demand for replacement batteries.”

Batteries Plus has more than 350 locations in 43 states and Puerto Rico and 55 stores currently in development. Though it typically competes with retailers such as RadioShack and some other electronic chains, Twist said there is not other battery corporation that mirrors Batteries Plus. In Fort Worth, the sole Batteries Plus location currently is at 5825 Camp Bowie Blvd., but Twist said that will soon change.

“As we continue to grow, we are looking to develop in markets with the right combination of population density and other variables and Fort Worth definitely fits into all of our categories,” Twist said. “We are wanting to do four to six locations in Fort Worth, but that timeline will be based on finding qualified candidates.”

Twist said once candidates have been approved, it takes about 90 days – from the time the franchise agreement is signed until the store opens – to find the right retail location and set up shop.

A typical Batteries Plus store is 1,500 square feet and is located in an existing strip retail center. Stores carry about 850 battery types with access to any battery imaginable through Batteries PlusÂ’ distribution center or suppliers, Twist said.

A portion of each store is also dedicated to a tech center where customers can bring batteries in for repair work.

“We never say we don’t have something,” he said. “We either have it, we can get it or we can build it,” he said.

Batteries Plus stores also accommodate commercial accounts, such as local municipalities, fire and police departments, school districts and food store chains, among others. Major corporations such as Sears, Chrysler Corporation, Honeywell and Cub Foods are Batteries Plus clients.

“We’ve got some aggressive expansion plans and we’ll be looking for specific locations in Fort Worth soon,” Twist said. “There is plenty of room to grow in that market without saturating it. But the way the market is performing right now, it would be tough to saturate.”