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Our Franchise 500's Top 10 Most Popular Retail Companies From 7-Eleven to Rent-a-Center, these businesses understand the bottom line. From 7-Eleven to Mac Tools, here are the franchises with the most number of stores.

By Lindsay Friedman

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

7-Eleven | Facebook

Retail franchises always dominate the rankings in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. This year's no different with businesses ranging from convenience stores, nutrition products, tech and professional equipment.

To find out who made the cut in the most popular retail franchises this year by number of units, check out this list:

7-Eleven | Facebook

1. 7-Eleven Inc.

Founded:1927

Franchising Since: 1964 (52 Years)

CEO: Joseph DePinto

Parent Company: Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd.

INITIAL INVESTMENT:

LOW: $37,550

HIGH: $1,119,900

CHANGE IN UNITS:

+5.2% +2918 UNITS (1 Year)

+9.7% +5495 UNITS (3 Years)

Related: 7-Eleven Is Giving Away a Franchise for Free

harper kt | Shutterstock.com

2. Circle K

Founded: 1951

Franchising Since: 1995 (21 Years)

CEO: Brian Hannasch

Parent Company: Alimentation Couche-Tard

INITIAL INVESTMENT:

LOW: $211,450

HIGH: $1,602,450

CHANGE IN UNITS:

+2.1% +179 UNITS (1 Year)

+8.5% +721 UNITS (3 Years)

Related: Circle K's Fahmi Al Shawa On Standardizing Better Service

Ace Hardware | Facebook

3. Ace Hardware Corp.

Founded:1924

Franchising Since: 1976 (40 Years)

CEO: John Venhuizen

INITIAL INVESTMENT:

LOW: $238,500

HIGH: $1,606,500

CHANGE IN UNITS:

-1.0% -47 UNITS (1 Year)

+1.8% +87 UNITS (3 Years)

Related: Hammer Time

Snap-on Tools | Facebook

4. Snap-on Tools

Founded:1920

Franchising Since: 1991 (25 Years)
CEO: Nick Pinchuk

INITIAL INVESTMENT:

LOW: $159,742
HIGH: $316,254

CHANGE IN UNITS:
+0.3% +13 UNITS (1 Year)
+0.5% +24 UNITS (3 Years)

Related: Snap-on Tools Hits the Nail on the Head

GNC | Facebook

5. GNC Franchising

Founded: 1935
Franchising Since: 1988 (28 Years)
CEO: Michael Archbold

INITIAL INVESTMENT:
LOW: $190,900
HIGH: $321,500

CHANGE IN UNITS:

+1.9% +127 UNITS (1 Year)
+8.7% +588 UNITS (3 Years)

Matco Tools | Facebook

6. Matco Tools

Founded: 1979
Franchising Since: 1993 (23 Years)
CEO: Timothy Gilmore
Parent Company: Danaher Corp.

INITIAL INVESTMENT:
LOW: $85,229
HIGH: $247,710
CHANGE IN UNITS

CHANGE IN UNITS:

+6.5% +107 UNITS (1 Year)
+12.2% +202 UNITS (3 Years)

ampm | Facebook

7. ampm

Founded: 1975
Franchising Since:1979 (37 Years)
CEO: Donna Sanker
Parent Company: BP West Coast Products LLC

INITIAL INVESTMENT:
LOW: $1,842,000
HIGH: $7,856,484

CHANGE IN UNITS:

+0.7% +7 UNITS (1 Year)
+0.6% +6 UNITS (3 Years)

Mac Tools | Facebook

8. Mac Tools

Founded: 1938
Franchising Since: 2011 (5 Years)
CEO: Brett Shaw

INITIAL INVESTMENT:
LOW: $86,190
HIGH: $240,305

CHANGE IN UNITS:
+7.4% +60 UNITS (1 Year)
+21.0% +171 UNITS (3 Years)

Aaron's | Facebook

9. Aaron's

Founded: 1955
Franchising Since: 1992 (24 Years)
CEO: John Robinson

INITIAL INVESTMENT:
LOW: $275,670
HIGH: $782,580

CHANGE IN UNITS:
-2.8% -58 UNITS (1 Year)
-0.8% -17 UNITS (3 Years)

Batteries Plus Bulbs | Facebook

10. Batteries Plus Bulbs

Founded: 1988
Franchising Since: 1992 (24 Years)
CEO: Russ Reynolds
Parent Company: Roark Capital

INITIAL INVESTMENT:
LOW: $275,670
HIGH: $782,580

CHANGE IN UNITS:
-2.8% -58 UNITS (1 Year)
-0.8% -17 UNITS (3 Years)

Lindsay Friedman

Staff writer. Frequently covers franchise news and food trends.

Lindsay Friedman is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

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