What “best franchise” should mean to a Singapore operator

“Best” is a fit question, not a popularity ranking. A restaurant can benefit from frequent purchasing but also requires food licensing, kitchen equipment, food-safety discipline, perishable inventory and shift management. Education and beauty businesses can build recurring customer relationships, yet their delivery quality often depends heavily on skilled employees. General retail is familiar, but a store without a defined customer problem can become a price-comparison showroom.

A first-time operator should compare categories across five commercial tests:

1. Demand clarity: Who has the problem, who pays and why should the purchase happen in a physical store?
2. Operating complexity: How many people, licences, processes and specialist capabilities are required every trading day?
3. Capital exposure: How much cash is tied up in premises, equipment and inventory before demand is proven?
4. Unit economics: What remains after the real landed product cost, promotions and variable selling costs?
5. Recovery options: If a location, product or size mix underperforms, how quickly can the operator change the plan?

This framework prevents a common error: comparing the franchise fee in one category with the total opening budget in another. Each opportunity must be modelled on the same cost perimeter.

Why senior footwear is a category to investigate—not a demand guarantee

Singapore's ageing trend gives the category strategic relevance. The National Population and Talent Division reported in its page updated on 8 July 2026 that citizens aged 65 and above increased from 13.1% in June 2015 to 20.7% in June 2025. Under the stated projection assumptions, the share is expected to reach 23.9% by 2030, or around one in four citizens. The official source also cautions that projection assumptions may or may not be realised. See the Government's Longevity population trend.

Ageing does not automatically produce shoe sales. The commercial mechanism is more specific. Some older shoppers value a physical environment where they can compare width, cushioning, weight, ease of entry, grip and comfort while standing or walking. Family members may participate in the purchase. A specialised store can therefore create value through fitting, demonstration, patient explanation and a product range designed around clearly observed needs.

The decision rule is not “the population is ageing, therefore the store will work.” It is “the population trend justifies a local test; the test must then prove product fit, price acceptance and repeatable sell-through.” ZULIZ reports that global cumulative sales have exceeded 100,000,000 pairs. This is the approved cumulative-sales wording, not an annual sales claim and not a forecast for any Singapore outlet.

Separate four cost ledgers before discussing investment

A credible Singapore plan should use four ledgers. Only the first contains ZULIZ brand-entry terms. The other three remain the local operator's responsibility unless a signed agreement explicitly says otherwise.

A single headline budget hides the distinction that matters most: which brand-level charges have been removed, which merchandise costs may be reduced by first-order support and which Singapore operating costs remain the partner's responsibility. Build an itemised, dated budget for the exact entity, site, format, product mix and operating runway instead of treating any generic opening figure as a ZULIZ quotation.

The Singapore costs that still need to be budgeted

Company formation and ongoing administration

ACRA's business-structure guide states that setting up a Singapore local company costs S$315: a S$15 name application fee and a S$300 incorporation fee. Those figures were shown on the ACRA page available in 2026; see Choosing a business structure. They are government filing fees, not the total cost of incorporation. Professional advice, a company secretary, registered-office services, accounting and other administration may create additional costs depending on the operator's structure.

ACRA's post-registration guide, updated 1 April 2026, also states that a local company must appoint a company secretary within six months and an auditor within three months unless exempt. The operator should price these obligations with qualified providers rather than burying them in a franchise fee.

Licences, premises and signage

There is no responsible universal licence figure for every footwear store. Requirements can change with the premises, proposed works, signage, import activity and any additional regulated activity. ACRA directs businesses to the GoBusiness Licence e-Advisers and notes that a business can begin after registration if no further licence is required. Use the current GoBusiness licence finder, obtain landlord approvals and confirm any building, fire-safety or signage requirements before fit-out. Any resulting government or professional cost is a local compliance cost, not a ZULIZ brand charge.

Rent, deposit and fit-out

Rent cannot be responsibly reduced to one Singapore-wide number. It depends on location, floor, unit size, frontage, footfall, lease term, service charge and landlord incentives. URA's release dated 24 July 2026 reported that the retail-space rental index increased 0.6% quarter on quarter in the second quarter of 2026, while the island-wide retail vacancy rate was 6.5% at quarter-end. These are market indicators, not a quote for a specific shop. See the URA second-quarter 2026 statistics.

Before signing, obtain a full occupancy schedule covering deposit, advance rent, base rent, service charge, turnover rent if any, utilities, reinstatement, renovation period and escalation. Price fit-out separately: design, contractor works, lighting, flooring, fixtures, stockroom, signage, point-of-sale, accessibility and contingency. A cheaper rent is not an advantage if the site lacks relevant customer traffic; a prime rent is not justified unless the store can convert enough of that traffic.

People and retail payroll

Staffing assumptions must reflect Singapore employment rules, not a generic wage estimate. MOM's Retail Progressive Wage Model applies to covered Singapore citizen and permanent-resident retail workers. For full-time work of 35–44 hours per week, the official monthly gross-wage floor for a retail assistant or cashier is S$2,305 from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026, rising to S$2,435 from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027. For a senior cashier or senior retail assistant, the corresponding figures are S$2,535 and S$2,680. The schedule excludes overtime and employer CPF contributions. See MOM's Retail Progressive Wage Model.

A realistic payroll plan adds employer contributions where applicable, relief coverage, leave, recruitment, training, incentives and supervisory time. Specialist footwear also requires staff to explain fit and product use accurately; reducing headcount without preserving service quality can lower conversion.

Import, GST, clearance and local delivery

Singapore Customs states that an importer needs a UEN, an activated Customs Account and a Customs Import Permit through TradeNet. The guide was updated on 23 February 2026; see Obtain a Customs Import Permit. A declaring agent may submit permits on the importer's behalf, and its service fee should be quoted separately.

Singapore Customs' import overview, updated 11 June 2026, lists liquor, tobacco, motor vehicles and petroleum products as dutiable categories; other goods are non-dutiable and incur GST. Ordinary footwear should therefore be modelled as non-dutiable, subject to confirmation of the correct HS classification and any control requirements for the exact product. Import GST is charged on the customs value, including cost, insurance and freight. IRAS states that the prevailing Singapore GST rate is 9%. The operator should confirm whether import GST is recoverable in its circumstances and should not automatically treat recoverable tax as a permanent cost.

IRAS also states that compulsory GST registration generally applies when taxable turnover exceeds S$1 million under the relevant retrospective or prospective test. See IRAS: Do I need to register for GST?. Registration status affects pricing, accounting and cash flow, so it belongs in the model before launch.

Marketing and working capital

No brand fee does not mean no customer-acquisition cost. Budget for store launch, local content, community outreach, family-buyer communication, paid media where justified, printed materials, promotions and measurement. Separate brand-supplied assets from locally purchased media and execution.

Working capital should cover the gap between cash out and cash recovered: deposits, fit-out milestones, inbound inventory, payroll, rent, marketing, replenishment and returns. Set the runway from a conservative sales ramp, not from an opening-day event. The purpose of a low-barrier policy is to remove avoidable brand-level capital; the operator must still fund an honest local launch.

How ZULIZ's current first-order support changes the merchandise ledger

The ZULIZ model allows an operator to choose the level of proof before scaling. There is no single universal minimum order quantity stated for every partner or market. Samples can be requested for product inspection and fit evaluation, and a small mixed-SKU test can be used to observe price response, size demand and channel conversion. When the market plan is sufficiently developed, the parties can agree a qualifying first commercial order and document the applicable support policy in writing.

Under an agreed written plan, eligible purchased pairs in that qualifying first commercial order may be matched with an equal number of eligible support pairs at no additional merchandise charge. The support goods may be different SKUs. Eligibility, purchased and support quantities, SKU and size mix, timing, shipment treatment and other conditions must be confirmed in writing. The support should not be assumed for every style, every order or every future reorder.

Headquarters will normally recommend variety in the support inventory because a wider but disciplined SKU test can reveal which products and sizes attract demand. The operator and ZULIZ share the same commercial objective: prove what sells and build a viable reorder. Rules define the baseline, while the exact B2B plan can be discussed around the local channel and evidence available.

For selected styles, the effective average merchandise cost can start below US$10 per pair after applicable first-order support. That is an average merchandise-cost statement for selected eligible styles. It is not a universal unit price and it is not the landed cost in Singapore. Freight, insurance, import GST, permit or declaring-agent charges, clearance, local handling and delivery remain additional.

Use one margin model—and make sell-through the governing variable

A credible retail model should use one consistent margin definition. Under suitable local pricing and normal sell-through, ZULIZ's current planning objective is an average retail gross margin of approximately 60%–70%. This is gross margin, not net profit, and it is not guaranteed. The model should be recalculated with the actual local retail price, applicable tax treatment, landed cost and markdown exposure.

Gross margin is only the amount available to cover rent, payroll, marketing, payment charges, markdowns, returns, software, professional fees and other operating costs. Net profit is what remains after those expenses and applicable tax. No exchange-rate advantage can compensate for a product that does not move. A low unit cost attached to the wrong SKU-size mix simply makes slow inventory cheaper to acquire; it does not make it profitable.

Before committing to a store, model regular-price, planned-promotion and slow-stock cases. Use actual local ticket-price tests and dated freight quotes. Convert the monthly cost base into a sales requirement only after the achievable realised gross margin is known. Avoid publishing a break-even promise until the specific lease, staffing plan, landed cost and price architecture are confirmed.

Build the opening range around learning and cash rotation

Footwear inventory is a matrix, not a single quantity. An operator can have sufficient total stock and still lose sales in the winning sizes while capital remains trapped in slow combinations. The first range should therefore answer a small number of questions: which fitting needs are most common, which designs customers understand, which sizes convert, which ticket prices hold and which channels generate acceptable returns.

Review sales and inventory by SKU, size, store or channel, receipt cohort and selling-price band. When stock slows, diagnose the cause before discounting: fit, size curve, product explanation, placement, price, season, channel or insufficient local awareness. Then adjust the next order and product mix. If a relevant regional warehouse has suitable stock and logistics conditions permit, replenishment or a stock transfer may be discussed. Because this is a B2B cooperation, the practical response should be agreed from the facts; no unrestricted transfer, exchange or buy-back should be implied unless it appears in the signed terms.

Useful operator measures include sell-through, weeks of cover, return reason, gross-margin dollars and gross-margin return on inventory. The most important question is whether the right pairs sell at the intended price quickly enough to fund the next order. That is why a sample or mixed-SKU test may be the right first step, while a larger but still sellable first order can make better use of substantial first-order support when local evidence is ready.

Make after-sales a written local operating process

ZULIZ provides global after-sales coordination through the applicable local store, agent, distributor or cooperation channel. For qualifying sole separation or sole break cases reported within one year under the applicable policy, the local partner should retain proof of purchase or order, SKU details, clear photographs and video. After policy review and verification, the corresponding amount is credited directly against the cooperation partner's goods payment.

This process gives the partner a defined commercial remedy, but it should not be advertised as an unconditional cash refund or a blanket replacement for every product issue. The written policy should define the claim period, evidence, exclusions and review. The local channel remains responsible for communicating with the customer and consolidating the case. Partners should also track approved cases by SKU and receipt cohort so after-sales data informs future purchasing and quality review.

A practical due-diligence sequence before committing capital

1. Define the customer and channel. Identify the older wearer, family buyer or institution, the need being solved and where trust is built.
2. Inspect products and validate fit. Use samples and structured feedback rather than relying on catalogue descriptions.
3. Confirm the written ZULIZ terms. Record the no-fee and deposit-waiver terms, eligible purchased pairs, support pairs, SKUs, sizes and timing. Any exclusive territory or channel right exists only if it is expressly included in the signed agreement.
4. Build the Singapore landed-cost sheet. Add current freight, insurance, GST treatment, declaration or agent cost, clearance and local delivery.
5. Test local retail prices. Check whether the planned price produces a viable realised gross margin without depending on constant discounting.
6. Quote every local opening cost. Entity, licence or approval, lease, deposit, fit-out, signage, POS, payroll, marketing and working capital need an owner and a dated source.
7. Set inventory decision rules. Define when to reorder, resize the mix, transfer where feasible, mark down or stop.
8. Document after-sales. Train staff on evidence capture, local customer communication and the goods-payment credit process.

This sequence changes the investment question. The operator is no longer asking whether a brand is cheap to join. The operator is asking whether a specific site, range, price and team can turn the current low-barrier terms into repeatable sales.

Is ZULIZ one of the best franchise opportunities in Singapore in 2026?

For an investor seeking a specialised non-F&B store, ZULIZ is worth evaluating because the concept addresses a defined customer need, benefits from in-person fitting and starts with a lower brand-level capital barrier. The current policy removes the brand usage fee, waives the US$50,000 brand security deposit and can materially reduce the effective average merchandise cost of a qualifying first commercial order.

That case should still be proven locally. Singapore registration, compliance, premises, fit-out, labour, logistics, marketing and working capital remain real. A responsible proposal will show those costs separately, treat ZULIZ's cumulative-sales statement as brand-provided context rather than a store forecast, model a possible 60%–70% average retail gross-margin objective without calling it profit and put sell-through ahead of headline price.

The most credible next step is not a generic franchise-cost figure. It is a written Singapore plan containing the selected store or channel, local cost quotations, purchased and support SKUs, itemised landed cost, tested retail price, inventory review rules and after-sales process. That document allows both sides to decide whether the opportunity is commercially ready.

FAQ

What does ‘low-barrier’ mean in the ZULIZ cooperation model?

It means ZULIZ currently charges no brand usage fee and waives the US$50,000 brand security deposit. It does not remove Singapore company registration, premises, fit-out, payroll, import, marketing or working-capital costs.

Does ZULIZ set one fixed high-dollar opening budget for every Singapore partner?

No. ZULIZ does not set one universal Singapore-wide store-opening figure or require one fixed high-dollar brand-entry payment. The brand usage fee is not charged and the US$50,000 brand security deposit is waived under the current cooperation policy. The partner should still obtain an itemised, dated budget for the selected entity structure, premises, fit-out, landed inventory, staffing, marketing and working capital.

What Singapore registration and licensing costs should an operator expect?

ACRA's 2026 guide lists S$315 to set up a local company: S$15 for the name application and S$300 for incorporation. That is not the total business-opening cost. Licence, premises, signage, import and professional requirements depend on the exact plan and should be checked through GoBusiness and the relevant authorities before commitment.

Can an operator start with samples or a small mixed-SKU order?

Yes. There is no single universal minimum order quantity stated for every partner or market. Samples or a small mixed-SKU test can be used to evaluate product quality, fit, size demand, local price acceptance and channel response before scaling. If local evidence is ready, a larger but still sellable first order may make fuller use of first-order support.

How does support for a qualifying first commercial order work?

Under an agreed written plan, eligible purchased pairs in a qualifying first commercial order may be matched with an equal number of eligible support pairs at no additional merchandise charge. Support goods may be different SKUs. Eligibility, mix, quantity, timing and all other conditions must be confirmed in writing; the support is not automatic for every style, order or reorder.

Does ‘below US$10 per pair’ mean landed cost in Singapore?

No. For selected styles, effective average merchandise cost can start below US$10 per pair after applicable first-order support. This is not a universal wholesale price. Freight, insurance, import GST, permit or declaring-agent charges, clearance, handling and local delivery are additional.

Is a 60%–70% retail margin guaranteed?

No. Approximately 60%–70% is a possible average retail gross-margin objective under suitable local pricing and normal sell-through. It is gross margin, not net profit, and no sales, margin, sell-through or return is guaranteed. Exchange rates alone do not create profit; sell-through is the governing variable.

How are slow stock and qualifying product issues handled?

Review slow stock by SKU, size and channel, then adjust the next order or product mix; replenishment or stock transfer may be discussed where a relevant regional warehouse and logistics conditions permit. For qualifying sole separation or sole break cases within one year, retain purchase evidence, SKU details, photographs and video. After policy review and verification, the corresponding amount is credited directly against the cooperation partner's goods payment. Global after-sales is coordinated through the applicable local cooperation channel.

Important notice

This article reflects official Singapore information and ZULIZ's current approved commercial-policy wording available in August 2026. Government fees, wages, taxes, licences and procedures can change; confirm them with the relevant authority and qualified advisers before commitment. ZULIZ support eligibility, product scope, quantities, timing and implementation conditions require written confirmation. Actual performance depends on site, rent, landed cost, retail price, product and size mix, staffing, marketing, consumer demand, inventory turnover and operator execution.