Batteries Plus stylized as Batteries+ (formerly Batteries Plus Bulbs, stylized as Batteries+Bulbs) is an American

retail chain A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, Management, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate many retail markets, dining markets, and service categories ...

that specializes in batteries, light bulbs, and device repair. Since its founding 1988, the company has grown to 700+ retail locations with its corporate headquarters located in Hartland, Wisconsin. The stores are known for carrying many out of production and hard to find batteries for older appliances and antique cars.

History

Ron Kienholz founded Batteries Plus in 1988, opening the first store in Green Bay,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. The company began as a specialized retailer focusing solely on batteries for a wide variety of applications including consumer electronics, automotive, industrial, and specialty use. As demand grew, the company expanded its offerings to include light bulbs and later added services such as smartphone repair and key fob programming. Batteries Plus Bulbs was acquired by

Roark Capital Group Roark Capital Management, LLC, also known as Roark Capital Group or simply Roark Capital, is an American private equity firm with around $37 billion in assets under management. The firm is focused on leveraged buyout investments in middle-market ...

in November 2007. Batteries Plus began offering franchise opportunities in 2010, which significantly accelerated its national expansion. In 2011, the brand changed its name to Batteries Plus Bulbs to reflect its broader product line, though it later reverted to the name Batteries Plus while maintaining its diverse offerings. In July 2014 they rolled out a nationwide cell phone and tablet repair service. All Batteries Plus locations also cut, sell, and code car keys. In July 2016, Los Angeles based

private equity firm A private equity firm or private equity company (often described as a financial sponsor) is an investment management company that provides financial backing and makes investments in the private equity of a Startup company, startup or of an existin ...

, Freeman Spogli & Co., acquired Batteries Plus Bulbs from Roark.

Products and Services

Batteries Plus offers a wide range of products and services, often carrying hard to find and niche products. The company's main products are batteries, including batteries for vehicles, smartphones, laptops, hearing aids, marine equipment, and industrial uses. Since the early 2010s, Batteries Plus has offered a variety of lighting solutions, including LED, CFL,

halogen The halogens () are a group in the periodic table consisting of six chemically related elements: fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), and the radioactive elements astatine (At) and tennessine (Ts), though some authors would ...

, and specialty bulbs. In 2014, the company started offering device repair for smartphones and tablets, as well as key fob programming and replacement services. Batteries Plus carries a mix of name-brand products and its own private label offerings. Customers can find well-known brands such as

Duracell Duracell Inc. is an American manufacturer of alkaline batteries, specialty cells, and rechargeables; it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway since 2016. The company has its origins in the 1920s, through the work of Samuel Ruben a ...

Energizer Energizer Holdings, Inc. is an American manufacturer and one of the world's largest manufacturers of batteries, headquartered in Clayton, Missouri. It produces batteries under the Energizer, Ray-O-Vac, Varta, and Eveready brand names and fo ...

, and X2Power. In addition to these, the company sells a wide range of Batteries Plus-branded products, including alkaline batteries, portable batteries, flashlights, chargers, and phone accessories.

Business Model

Batteries Plus operates under a franchise model. Each location is independently owned and operated but follows corporate operations, product offering requirements, and customer service standards. Franchisees benefit from centralized marketing,

supply chain management In commerce, supply chain management (SCM) deals with a system of procurement (purchasing raw materials/components), operations management, logistics and marketing channels, through which raw materials can be developed into finished produc ...

, and training programs.

References

External links

{{official website Franchises American companies established in 1988 Retail companies established in 1988 Retail companies of the United States Private equity portfolio companies