Phnom-Penh-based electronics retailer T-Shop Cambodia has become the first locally owned business to sell franchises.

CEO Bung Hor says the company, founded in 2012, has sold its first two franchise licences and is in talks with five other potential franchisees around the country.

T-Shop’s strength is its partnership with Chinese suppliers which gives it the distribution rights to a range of mobile phone and car accessory brands proving popular among Cambodians.

“We are so proud to be the first Cambodian-owned brand offering franchising to aspiring young entrepreneurs, and we seek to create more jobs for young Cambodians and invest in them to help them have more professional careers,” Hor told The Khmer Times newspaper.

Once the franchise network is built up, Hor says he plans to list T-Shop with the Cambodia Security Exchange within five years, and he will consider moving into other Asean markets.

Hor says under the T-Shop franchise model, franchisees will open retail businesses carrying T-Shop-distributed products and receive training and business support from T-Shop.