Uniformity

According to Eric Schlosser in Fast Food Nation “uniformity” (pg.5) is the key to a successful franchise. Uniformity is having the overall sameness of a product or service and coming together (as to uniform) with different businesses and pitching that idea to numerous locations. Uniformity has an interchangeable approach with a deficiency in variation; it is easily executed throughout many franchises and smaller businesses.

Having distinguished products and services at a cluster of businesses is an advantage for both consumers and franchisors. An advantage for consumers because they’re at a comfort ability level where they can spend their money at different companies in different locations knowing they purchased the exact same product without any regrets. They trust the brand being sold and serviced everywhere because it’s the same product. It is said “customers are drawn to familiar brands by instinct to avoid the unknown”, “a brand offers a feeling of reassurance when its products are always and everywhere the same” (Schlosser.5) And it’s an advantage for businesses because their bringing in clientele and making money, at the same time taking advantage of consumers by having an alluring and amiable deposition hoarding on the naïve minds of impulsive shopping.

Ray Kroc stated that he cannot trust people who are nonconformists, and will make conformists out of them in a hurry, “the organization cannot trust the individual; the individual must trust the organization” (pg.5). By being a nonconformist one is not being obedient and isn’t complying with the standards of business making it detrimental for businesses alike. In turn it’ll lead to the enhancement of similar businesses thriving or plummeting one another. In order for uniformity to remain successful people must conform and businesses must perpetuate this method into every brand.

An example of uniformity is the brand Gucci; although they have multiple locations by them expanding their brand with selling and servicing their products in various locations including stores such as boutiques and major department stores such as Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, etc. they’ve maintained a sense of stability and accuracy, they're uniforming as a brand. They're making their numbers larger and customers wider in the aspect of creating more business for the company.

Encroachment

In Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser he writes about the concept of encroachment (pg.99). The term “encroachment” meaning to forcefully enter upon another’s property without any regards to their rights, in “layman’s” terms it means to take something i.e. businesses belonging to a chain of operations and putting it in the same area as other businesses for competition.

Eric Schlosser exemplifies encroachment in his success chapter when he talks about the conflicts between franchisees and franchisors and how their restaurants belonging to the same chain are frequently being put closer to one another. Franchisees call the practice “encroachment” and oppose it; their businesses become stagnant as their sales go down drawing away more and more customers due to the infringement. On the other hand franchisors benefit from this practice receiving revenue from royalties based on their total sales.

As a result of the more restaurants that “trespass” the more sales and business they drive up for themselves (franchisors), and the more business that go down for franchisees. Although it creates jobs for new workers mostly immigrants at the same time it tears down the integrity of these small businessmen trying to make a living that have no rights and rules are surely unfair.

One example of encroachment is the food trucks, especially around LaGuardia Community College. In total there are about 5 or 6 trucks on a three-block radius. There are 3 trucks alone on 1 block and they serve the same exact thing, though they may have certain customers, it brings conflict for business. If 1 food truck has a long line, I might go to the next one because I don’t feel like waiting, or one might not have what I wanted, then its on to the next, and so on. Yes they probably all make profits but I just don’t see for how long or how long will that truck be around without knocking the other one out of business due to encroachment.