Learning Express
Retail & Consumer Goods · Specialty Retail
- Active units
- 79
- Avg unit volume
- $891k
- Royalty
- 5.0%
Franchised, year-end 2025
Average Sales for 2025 across reported stores
of weekly Net Sales
About Learning Express
Learning Express is a leading brand that specializes in providing a wide range of toys, books, and games for people of all ages and occasions. With a commitment to staying ahead of the latest trends, Learning Express ensures that their customers have access to the best and most popular products on the market. Not only does Learning Express offer an extensive selection of toys, books, and games, but they also prioritize delivering exceptional customer service. Their knowledgeable and friendly staff are dedicated to ensuring total customer satisfaction. Whether you're searching for the perfect toy for a child's birthday, a captivating book to inspire imagination, or an engaging game for family fun night, Learning Express has you covered. To make shopping more convenient, Learning Express offers in-store pickup and a user-friendly online shopping experience. With multiple store locations, customers can easily find and shop their local store. Discover a one-stop-shop for all your toy, book, and game needs at Learning Express. Shop with confidence, knowing that you're getting top-quality products and exceptional customer service every time.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$40k
- Conversion franchisee fee
Pre-existing independent stores that convert pay 20000 initial franchise fee
- Additional location by existing franchisee
Existing Learning Express franchisees opening an additional location pay 20000 initial franchise fee
- Brand fund
1.0% of Net Sales
- Footprint
2,000 – 3,000 sq ft
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2026 filing).
Growth
- Total locations79
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings1
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate-8.1%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR-5.3%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio1.0×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)$891k
Average Sales for 2025 across reported stores
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate—
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$294k
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open—
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
- Royalty rate5.0%
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
↓ Lower is better - Sales-to-investment ratio3.0×
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
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Location footprint
Showing 15 of 15 mapped locations
Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.