Brazil’s franchise sector reaches 207,200 units as cleaning leads expansion

Brazil’s franchise sector ended the second quarter of 2026 with around 207,200 operating units, up 3.3% on the same period in 2025. Cleaning and maintenance led the expansion, with unit numbers rising by 8%, according to the Quarterly Performance Survey from the Brazilian Franchising Association (ABF).

More units, but a slower pace of expansion

The result represents a net increase of 6,652 units year on year, according to ABF figures reported by Times Brasil. It shows that the franchise sector expanded its presence across the country, although the pace of growth slowed.

In the second quarter of 2025, unit numbers had grown by 3.9%, taking the national total above 200,000, according to reporting by Exame. The latest increase of 3.3% therefore indicates continued growth, but at a slower rate than a year earlier.

It is important to distinguish net growth from new openings. The increase of 6,652 units is the difference between the totals at the two points in time; it should not be presented as the total number of new outlets opened during that period. This distinction helps put the expansion recorded by the survey into perspective.

Growth was also uneven across business categories. While cleaning and maintenance grew faster than the national average, home and construction ended the quarter with fewer units than a year earlier. Communications, IT and electronics franchise networks also recorded a decline in unit numbers, according to Exame.

Cleaning and maintenance stands out on two measures

As well as leading growth in unit numbers, cleaning and maintenance recorded the largest revenue increase among the segments surveyed: 17.6% year on year. Revenue reached R$700 million (Brazilian reais) between April and June 2026.

The segment includes laundry businesses and professional cleaning services. According to Times Brasil, revenue growth was driven by the expansion of express laundry businesses and outsourced professional services. The performance puts these activities in the spotlight for both their growing physical presence and rising revenues.

The two indicators, however, measure different things. The 8% increase shows growth in the number of units, while the 17.6% rise reflects the nominal change in aggregate revenue. They are therefore not equivalent measures of an individual unit’s performance.

For anyone exploring franchise opportunities, this distinction matters: growth in a segment does not, on its own, reveal the financial results of each franchisee. Nor do the figures establish how profitability at individual units has changed.

Services, education and fashion expand their presence

After cleaning and maintenance, services and other businesses recorded the strongest growth in unit numbers, at 6.1%. Education grew by 5.5% and fashion by 5.1%. All three segments outpaced the national average of 3.3%.

Entertainment and leisure also exceeded that benchmark, with a 4.2% increase in unit numbers. Food services grew by 2.8%, food retail and distribution by 2.2%, and automotive services by 1.5%.

At the other end of the scale, home and construction recorded a 1.3% decline in unit numbers. Its revenue nevertheless rose by a nominal 5.4%, reaching R$5 billion for the quarter. This combination reinforces the need to assess revenue trends and unit numbers separately.

Food retail and distribution presented a different picture: despite the 2.2% increase in unit numbers, revenue fell by 3.8% to R$7.5 billion. In this segment, more operating outlets did not translate into higher aggregate revenue.

Revenue rises, before adjusting for inflation

Across the franchise sector, revenue totalled R$76.3 billion in the second quarter of 2026, a nominal increase of 9.3% on the same period a year earlier. This was below the 10.1% growth recorded in the first three months of 2026 and the 14.2% seen in the second quarter of 2025.

Revenue for the first half of the year reached R$149 billion, up 9.7%, according to ABF. As these changes are not adjusted for inflation, they should not be interpreted as real growth of the same magnitude.

In practice: when assessing a franchise, compare growth in unit numbers and revenue, but also request specific information on costs, profitability and local demand. The national picture can help guide your analysis; it is no substitute for assessing the particular business you intend to operate.