I am interested in possibly opening or buying a cell phone store and I had a few questions. Do the carriers own their own stores or are they franchises? Does anyone know how much it costs to run or buy a store? Do all of the carriers handle their stores the same way (in terms of whether they are franchised or not, etc.). Does anyone know whether these stores are profitable? How and where do the stores buy their products, and not just the phones, but all the ancillary stuff (like bluetooth headsets, chargers, etc.). Does it call come directly from the carrier?

Any insights into this would be helpful.

Thanks