Sandbox VR to Significantly Expand with Franchise Locations
A well-known provider of location-based virtual reality (VR) experiences, Sandbox VR, is preparing its franchise business for significant expansion. In the second quarter, the firm saw a 60% rise in franchise transactions, and over the following four years, it plans to open 280 more franchise sites.
This statement comes after Sandbox VR’s 50th location, situated on the Gold Coast, opened its doors on August 15. The firm has expanded its worldwide reach across four continents and nine nations with this new site, which also represents its first presence in Australia.
With successful corporate-owned sites and a robust franchising programme, Sandbox VR has rapidly expanded its worldwide presence since the launch of its first shop in Hong Kong in 2017. Over 100,000 gamers join the company’s worldwide locations each month.
With a 33% year-over-year increase in 2024 ticket sales, Sandbox VR sold over 1.2 million tickets in 2023. The company’s 37 corporate sites have reached a remarkable financial milestone; on average, each shop brings in over $1.9 million a year.
Sandbox VR’s franchise programme, which was first introduced in 2019 for foreign markets, was made accessible in U.S. regions in April of this year. Thirty-three percent of the U.S. franchise areas were grabbed in only four months by both new and current franchise partners. The firm expects this momentum in the U.S. to continue driving rapid expansion. Sandbox VR is the fastest-growing location-based VR startup globally, and franchising has been a major factor in that success. In the United States, there are still few options for exclusive territories and good sites.
Sandbox VR’s CEO, Steve Zhao, stressed the importance of assembling the best team possible in order to use cutting-edge VR technology to create the most immersive experiences ever. In order for Sandbox VR to grow internationally, Zhao understands how important it is to collaborate with the appropriate people and companies.
Zhao was thrilled to announce the launch of the 50th Sandbox VR site, which was made possible in association with Bao Phung and Keith Le, franchise partners. In order to build hundreds more sites in the next four years, the firm looks forward to collaborating with enthusiastic franchise owners from all over the globe.
VR Entertainment Group, Sandbox VR’s franchise partner in the UK and Ireland, is a prime example of the programme’s effectiveness. The franchise has brought in more than $10 million in sales since opening its first location in London in July 2022 and its second location in Birmingham the following year.
Although they looked at other location-based VR firms, Sandbox VR Gold Coast’s owner, Bao Phung, clarified that working with Sandbox VR was ultimately the best course of action for their company. Through this collaboration, they have been able to expose Australia to immersive experiences that are only accessible on Sandbox VR’s full-body VR technology. With 13 million visits a year, the Gold Coast was selected as the best place for their first shop, which would provide both residents and tourists with an entirely new experience.
VR Entertainment Group has seen a 16.8% rise in visitors in London alone so far this year, and they anticipate exceeding $5 million in revenue by 2024.
The CEO of VR Entertainment Group, Andy Scanlon, credited their success to their solid collaboration with Sandbox VR. Sandbox VR’s corporate staff, world-class VR technology, and local knowledge have come together to create a nexus that offers visitors really remarkable experiences.
With the creation of the most immersive virtual reality experiences worldwide, Sandbox VR keeps pushing the envelope of entertainment. Their technology records players’ whole body motions and incorporates top-notch haptics, offering a degree of realism and immersion that is not equalled by other location-based VR platforms or home VR systems. Players may enter the virtual world and participate in action-packed events that are happening all around them by using their bodies as their gaming controllers.
There are eight Sandbox VR experiences available at this time, all of which are produced by in-house game companies in Vancouver and Hong Kong. Because these experiences are meant to be social gatherings, groups of up to six players are encouraged to freely explore virtual environments and depend on one another for success.
