Mondadori Retail: franchisees account for 45% of turnover

Franchising accounts for around 45% of Mondadori Retail’s turnover. The figure, which relates to 2025 and was released by the company on 4 November 2026, highlights the financial contribution of franchisees to the Mondadori Store network: more than €100 million in revenue generated by the channel. Franchising is therefore not simply a way to open bookshops, but a significant part of the Mondadori Group company’s business.

More than €100 million from the franchise channel

In Mondadori Retail’s update, the importance of franchising is highlighted alongside its store development plans. In 2025, the channel generated more than €100 million in revenue, equivalent to around 45% of the company’s total turnover. This figure provides a measure of the franchise network’s financial scale, beyond the number of new openings.

The percentage refers to Mondadori Retail, the company that manages the bookshop network, rather than to the turnover of the entire Mondadori Group. This distinction is important in understanding the scope of the information. Similarly, the channel’s aggregate revenue should not be confused with the average turnover of an individual bookshop or the income of individual franchisees.

For the franchising community, the case illustrates the role franchising can play within a mixed network. In the model described by the company, growth in company-operated stores goes hand in hand with the development of bookshops run by franchise partners.

A model that complements company-operated stores

Mondadori Retail presents franchising as a complement to its company-operated outlets. Its stated aims are to achieve extensive geographical coverage, diversify its presence and build closer relationships with readers, supported by the work of franchise booksellers.

The Mondadori Store network comprises more than 500 bookshops in total, ranging from major cities to smaller towns. It includes company-operated and franchised Mondadori Bookstores, as well as MA bookshops, Mondadori Duomo and Rizzoli Milano. The total therefore covers a range of formats and brands, not just franchised outlets.

This structure helps put the revenue figure into context. Franchising contributes to an organisation that maintains several ways of serving local markets. The company therefore describes franchising not as a replacement for company-operated stores, but as one of the ways it develops its network and reaches readers.

The entrepreneurs behind the results

Alongside the financial figures is the contribution of the people involved. According to data released by Mondadori Retail, franchised Mondadori Bookstores employ around 1,000 people and involve 320 franchisees.

Of these franchisees, 150 have been part of the network for more than ten years or operate multiple outlets. This figure combines two different criteria — length of time in the network and multi-store ownership — and does not mean that all 150 entrepreneurs meet both.

Nevertheless, it offers a useful insight into the make-up of the franchise community. Alongside commercial development, the company’s communication highlights its partners’ experience and their contribution to cultural life in local communities. The role of booksellers is thus linked both to relationships with readers and to business continuity.

Putting the 2026 expansion into financial context

The channel’s contribution in 2025 precedes a further year of expansion. Following more than 100 franchised bookshop openings over the past five years, Mondadori Retail has set out plans for 30 new openings in 2026. As at 4 November, 21 were already trading, with a further nine scheduled to open by December in the Italian regions of Calabria, Puglia, Sicily and Veneto.

These figures relate to two distinct periods: the revenue figures describe 2025, while the openings concern development in 2026. The expansion programme alone is therefore not a measure of financial performance in the current year.

Practical takeaway: for anyone considering a franchise, the network’s financial scale is a starting point, not a forecast of individual results. It should be considered alongside a review of the contract, costs and viability of the individual bookshop in its local market.