The UPS Store network in Canada ranges from standalone shipping-and-business-services storefronts to a store-in-store format operating inside Walmart Canada locations — two genuinely different premises arrangements that a resale has to account for. Either way, the deal turns on the franchise agreement, the carrier account, and whoever on staff is commissioned to handle notarial work.
The UPS Store resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer sets price and structure, conditioned on franchisor consent and confirmation of the premises arrangement — a standalone lease reads very differently from a store-in-store concession.
1–2 weeks†The franchisor reviews the proposed buyer and may exercise a right of first refusal before the sale can proceed.
several weeks, typically†A franchise disclosure document may still be required for this resale — Ontario courts read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, so franchisor involvement in the sale can trigger it regardless of how the parties describe the deal.
assessed early†Getting to closing
A standalone location needs the landlord's written consent to assign the lease; a store-in-store unit instead needs the host retailer's consent to assign the concession or licence arrangement, which runs on its own separate terms.
2–6 weeks†The incoming owner typically completes the franchisor's training program, and the carrier shipping account and any notarial or commissioner appointments held by staff are reviewed for continuity.
1–3 weeks†Funds and keys change hands, and the franchisor and carrier systems are updated to reflect the new ownership.
1 day, once conditions are met†CFA listing confirms a large Canadian franchise network, CFA member since 1991, including a store-in-store model within Walmart Canada.
Hundreds of Ontario locations within its nationwide Canadian franchise network.
This is the first real decision in a The UPS Store resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The unit's assets — fixtures, equipment, the franchise agreement's benefit, and the carrier account relationship, subject to franchisor consent. | The shares of the operating company — everything it owns, and everything it owes. |
| Seller's liabilities | Generally stay behind with the seller's existing corporation. | Generally come with the company, known and unknown. |
| Franchise agreement | Consent required for the specific location, often paired with a current-form agreement. | Consent required for the change of control itself. |
| The premises | A standalone lease needs landlord consent to assign; a store-in-store unit needs the host retailer's consent to assign the concession arrangement — a different process entirely. | Usually stays in place, unless the underlying lease or concession agreement has its own change-of-control clause. |
| Carrier account & notarial services | The shipping-carrier account tied to the unit is reviewed for transfer, and any commissioner-of-oaths or notarial appointment held by staff doesn't automatically follow the sale — it's personal to the individual. | Stays with the corporation, but the carrier and any professional appointments are reconfirmed under the new ownership. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
| Typical use | The default for most single-unit resales. | Less common — occasionally used where an operator holds several units under one company. |
The unit's assets — fixtures, equipment, the franchise agreement's benefit, and the carrier account relationship, subject to franchisor consent.
The shares of the operating company — everything it owns, and everything it owes.
Generally stay behind with the seller's existing corporation.
Generally come with the company, known and unknown.
Consent required for the specific location, often paired with a current-form agreement.
Consent required for the change of control itself.
A standalone lease needs landlord consent to assign; a store-in-store unit needs the host retailer's consent to assign the concession arrangement — a different process entirely.
Usually stays in place, unless the underlying lease or concession agreement has its own change-of-control clause.
The shipping-carrier account tied to the unit is reviewed for transfer, and any commissioner-of-oaths or notarial appointment held by staff doesn't automatically follow the sale — it's personal to the individual.
Stays with the corporation, but the carrier and any professional appointments are reconfirmed under the new ownership.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
The default for most single-unit resales.
Less common — occasionally used where an operator holds several units under one company.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single standalone UPS Store location changing hands between one buyer and one seller, with a straightforward lease assignment.
Start my file →A store-in-store unit where the host retailer's concession terms need negotiating alongside the franchisor's consent, or a multi-unit operator adding a location to an existing portfolio.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
The premises step is different. A standalone location goes through a landlord consent to assign the lease; a store-in-store unit instead needs the host retailer's consent to assign the concession or licence arrangement, which has its own terms and timeline separate from the franchisor's approval.
Generally not automatically. That authority is typically held by a specific individual staff member under a provincial appointment, not by the business itself — so continuity of notarial services usually depends on the incoming owner or a staff member obtaining their own appointment, not on the sale itself.
The carrier account tied to the unit is typically reviewed and reissued to reflect the new ownership as part of closing, rather than transferring automatically — worth confirming standing and terms before you rely on the account continuing unchanged.
Both are common in this network. The franchisor's own consent process applies the same way either way, though an established multi-unit operator's application is often reviewed more quickly than a first-time buyer's.
Possibly. Ontario courts have read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, and franchisor involvement in matching a buyer to a seller can be enough to trigger a full disclosure requirement even where the deal is framed as a private resale.
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Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by The UPS Store or its franchisor.
Tell us about your The UPS Store resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.