21, promoted to Director of Business Systems in January 2022, and promoted to Vice President of Information Technology in January 2023. From August 2019 to May 2021, Peter was the NetSuite Systems Ana
From the filings
Verlo Mattress
Retail non foodSoftware purchasing at Verlo Mattress is controlled at the corporate level by FWR Holdings, LLC, with key decision-makers including President Dirk Stallmann and the Marcus family directors. The franchise currently mandates a point-of-sale software system and uses proprietary Verlo apps across its 33-unit network. With 28 franchised locations and 7.4% year-over-year unit growth, the addressable market for vendors is modest but expanding.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
5%+of gross sales (FY2024)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
27 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 1 explicit no; 6 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall establish and maintain, at Franchisee’s expense, a bookkeeping, accounting, and record keeping system conforming to the requirements prescribed by the Company from time to time, including, without limitation, the preparation and retention of books and records.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
we have independent access to information generated and stored in these systems.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall furnish to the Company in the form prescribed by the Company: (i) on or before the 10th day of each calendar month, a report of the Gross Sales of the Franchised Business for the preceding month and such other data, information, and supporting records as the Company from time to time requires; (ii)…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Exclusive Products While currently we, or our affiliates, are not the only approved suppliers in any area of our products and services, we reserve the right that in some instances, we, or our affiliates, may be approved suppliers or the sole approved suppliers for certain products and services, which may include…
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
We have established a “Marketing Advisory Council” (vMAC) that provides us with advice on marketing programs and general use of National Marketing Fund dollars.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
The Company shall also have the right, without limitation, to modify the Technology Systems and to require Franchisee to replace any of the components of Franchisee’s computer system (including any hardware and software) if, in the future, the Company deems the component to be (a) undersized or otherwise insufficient…
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
690434.00Item 8
For the fiscal year ended December 28, 2023, we received $690,434.00 as a result of franchisee purchases.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
In the fiscal year ended December 28, 2023, we received $292,063.00 from approved suppliers.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
80Item 8
approximately 80% to 90% of the continuing cost of operating your Store each year
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
Except with respect to Exclusive Products and the Technology Systems (as described above), you may make written request for the approval of an additional qualified manufacturer or supplier of a specific item of equipment, a Component, an Accessory, Product or for other supplies and materials.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at the Company’s direction, either cancel or assign to the Company or its designee, any and all telephone numbers and all telephone directory listings associated with Franchisee’s VERLO® Stores or the Trademarks.
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall present to its customers such customer evaluation forms as are periodically prescribed by the Company and shall participate and/or request that its customers participate in any marketing surveys performed by or on behalf of the Company.
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
We will strive to maintain the high standards of quality, professionalism, appearance, and service we have established, and to that end will conduct, as and when we deem advisable, inspections of the Store(s) (Franchise Agreement § 13).
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
The Company may, by written or electronic means (including through the Technology Systems), modify the Electronic Manuals from time to time to reflect changes in the image, décor, design, format, appearance, methods, standards and specifications, and operating procedures and policies approved for VERLO® Stores.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You must obtain our approval of any Retail Assembly Store or Retail Only Store site.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee may not market, advertise or promote Franchisee’s initial Factory Retail Only Store or Retail Only Store or conduct any business on the Internet, including using social and professional networking sites to promote Franchisee’s Factory Retail Only Store, except as provided in the Company’s written social…
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
You are required to spend a minimum of $40,000 on your grand opening marketing plan.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
In addition to paying the monthly National Marketing Fund Fee, you must spend at least 6% of your Store’s Gross Sales, as measured on an annual basis, on local advertising and promotion of the Products.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
We may require you to participate in a local or regional advertising cooperative.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 6
you must buy Exclusive Products from us or our designated suppliers.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must purchase the equipment, Component, and Accessories listed above solely from suppliers who have been approved by the Company and identified by the Company in the Electronic Manuals or otherwise in writing.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must pay electronically all fees due to the Company under this Franchise Agreement.
People
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
(iv) uniform specifications;
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall purchase and otherwise access in its operation of the Store the “Technology Systems” specified by the Company in the Electronic Manuals, including, but not limited to, hardware and software items, on-line communication tools (including continuous business grade Internet access), and other electronic…
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
we have independent access to information generated and stored in these systems.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
The Company may require Franchisee and/or previously trained staff to attend periodic refresher courses at locations designated by Company, or as provided through the Technology Systems (as defined in Paragraph 10.M), telecommunications, or other similar means.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee or designated staff shall attend any regional or national conventions conducted by the Company (which may also include refresher and/or supplemental training programs).
The filing answers no to 1 question
- Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?Item 8
The vendor opportunity at Verlo Mattress
Verlo Mattress operates 33 total locations across the United States, with 28 franchised units and 6 company-owned stores. The brand grew its unit count by 7.4% year-over-year, adding new franchised locations. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is 33 units, though the growth trajectory suggests a slowly expanding footprint. The franchise is part of FWR Holdings, LLC, and is headquartered in Wisconsin. Average unit volume (AUV) is not disclosed in the most recent FDD. Royalties run at 5.0% of gross sales, and the initial franchise term is 10 years.
Because the system is small and tightly controlled, vendors should approach Verlo as a centralized sale. The franchisor mandates at least one core technology system — the point-of-sale — which means any replacement or add-on must win approval at the corporate level before reaching franchisees.
Who controls software purchasing
The 2024 FDD lists five key executives in Item 1: Stephen H. Marcus (Director), David Marcus (President and Director), Andrew Marcus (Director), Greg S. Marcus (Director), and Dirk Stallmann (President). With two Presidents named — David Marcus and Dirk Stallmann — the buying center likely involves both operational and strategic oversight. Vendors pitching software should expect to engage these individuals or their delegates. No separate CIO or VP of Technology is named in the filing, so initial outreach to the President's office is the most direct path.
Mandated and current tech stack
Verlo Mattress mandates a point-of-sale software system for all franchisees, as disclosed in the FDD. The specific POS vendor is not named in the filing. In addition to the mandated POS, the franchisor provides proprietary Verlo apps to franchisees. These apps likely handle operational or customer-facing functions, though their exact scope is not detailed. Vendors offering complementary solutions — inventory management, CRM, e-commerce, or business intelligence — should position their products as integrations or upgrades to this existing stack, not as replacements for the mandated POS without a compelling reason.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so the franchisor's policy on designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or open purchasing is not publicly available. Vendors should clarify this directly with HQ during the sales process. On renewals, Item 17 shows that franchisees must give a minimum of 190 days' written notice before the end of their 10-year term. Renewal conditions include compliance with the franchise agreement, possession and renovation of the store premises, signing the then-current franchise agreement (which may contain materially different provisions), and payment of a renewal fee. This renewal cycle, combined with new unit openings, creates periodic windows where technology decisions may be revisited.
How to read the Verlo Mattress FDD
The 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below for full review. Key sections for software vendors include Item 1 (executives), Item 11 (mandated tech and franchisor assistance), Item 8 (procurement restrictions — though absent here), and Item 17 (renewal and transfer conditions). The document is filed with state franchise regulators and provides the legal framework for all franchisor-franchisee relationships. Reading it closely will help you understand exactly where your software fits and who must approve the sale.
For a ranked target list of franchise systems that match your software's ideal customer profile, FranCloud can help you prioritize your outreach.
Questions vendors ask
Verlo Mattress, answered from the filing
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Verlo Mattress files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
15 operators run 15 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| IL | 8 |
|---|---|
| WI | 3 |
| IA | 1 |
| MO | 1 |
| FL | 1 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Verlo Mattress
unknown of fwr holdings.
Related Retail non food brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.