Overview
Great Clips is a US-based hair salon brand specialising in accessible, everyday haircuts for adults and children. Rather than positioning itself as a full-service beauty destination, it concentrates on a relatively focused service menu and convenient locations. Customers generally visit without appointments, while online check-in allows them to join a salon’s waiting list before arriving.
The chain operates through franchised salons, with headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota. Its business combines a frequently purchased personal service with the systems of a large retail network: recognisable branding, shared technology and coordinated marketing. For franchisees, the central operational challenge is delivering consistent service through a reliable team of qualified stylists.
History and growth
Great Clips began in Minneapolis in 1982 and started franchising in 1983. Its early proposition centred on making haircuts convenient and affordable, including opening at times that accommodated working customers and families. The model offered an alternative both to independent appointment-based salons and to more elaborate beauty salon formats.
Franchising became the principal engine of expansion, enabling local operators to establish salons under a common identity. Over subsequent decades, the business grew across the United States and entered Canada. Technology later became a more prominent part of the customer experience, particularly online check-in and Clip Notes, which records haircut preferences to help stylists understand returning customers’ requirements. These tools support convenience without changing the underlying walk-in service model.
Global footprint
Despite its scale, Great Clips is a North American rather than a broadly international salon network. It has over 4,530 salons across two countries, the United States and Canada. That footprint places it among the largest hair salon brands in North America, although its geographic reach is narrower than that of some internationally franchised salon groups.
Salons commonly occupy neighbourhood shopping centres and other accessible retail locations. Visibility, parking, nearby households and surrounding shopping activity can matter more than a prestigious address. Network size should not be confused with available development territory: an established brand may already have substantial coverage in attractive markets. Prospective owners need to establish where new salons or existing-business purchases are actually available.
How the franchise model works
Franchisees own and operate the salons, employing staff and managing local business performance within Great Clips’ operating framework. The franchisor provides the brand, systems, training resources, marketing support and technology. Owners pay initial and ongoing franchise charges, with the applicable arrangements set out in the franchise agreement and disclosure documents.
The ownership model does not require franchisees themselves to cut hair. It is designed to accommodate business owners who recruit licensed stylists and develop salon managers, including operators with several locations. That distinction does not make the business passive. Recruitment, retention, customer service, local marketing and financial controls remain important ownership responsibilities. A multi-salon operation also requires management capacity beyond the individual salon, particularly when covering absences or supporting underperforming locations.
Investment and requirements
Opening a Great Clips salon involves more than the initial franchise fee. The investment typically includes leasehold improvements, salon equipment, signage, technology, opening supplies and working capital. The total depends on the premises, construction requirements and local costs. Purchasing an established salon presents a different calculation, including the purchase price and any refurbishment or equipment replacement required.
Great Clips publishes US franchise investment information through its franchise materials and Franchise Disclosure Document. A single headline figure should not substitute for the current disclosure: prospective franchisees should request the latest documents, including the initial investment table, fees and owner qualification requirements. Canadian opportunities require the relevant local information. Ongoing costs include staff pay, occupancy, supplies and contractual franchise and advertising charges, all of which need to be considered alongside expected salon activity.
What franchisees should consider
Labour is central to this model. A salon cannot convert customer demand into completed haircuts without enough appropriately qualified stylists on duty. Recruitment conditions, employee turnover, scheduling and manager development can therefore influence both sales capacity and customer experience. Online check-in helps customers plan their visit, but it cannot eliminate staffing shortages or guarantee a particular service time.
Local competition and site economics deserve equally close attention. Nearby salons may compete on price, stylist relationships, opening hours or specialist services. Owners should examine lease obligations, access, visibility and the effect of other Great Clips locations in the area. Conversations with existing and former franchisees can help explain day-to-day demands, the usefulness of support systems and the practical challenges of expanding beyond a first salon.
Competitive landscape
Supercuts is a close competitor because of its accessible haircutting proposition and franchised salon network. Sport Clips also competes for convenient haircuts, though its positioning is more explicitly directed towards men and boys. Independent salons, barbers and smaller regional chains remain significant competitors because haircuts are purchased locally and customer relationships can be highly personal.
Great Clips differentiates itself through network recognition, a broad family customer base and convenience-focused technology. Those features do not remove the importance of local execution: customers experience the individual salon and stylist rather than the network in the abstract. More fashion-led brands such as TONI&GUY occupy an adjacent competitive space, but their service mix and positioning make them less direct comparisons than mainstream haircutting chains.
Outlook
Great Clips’ prospects rest on maintaining a straightforward customer proposition while managing the practical pressures of a labour-intensive service business. Haircuts generate recurring demand, but visit frequency, local pricing and customers’ willingness to switch providers can change. Wage costs, commercial rents and the availability of experienced stylists remain important operating variables.
Its established network and shared digital infrastructure provide a platform for continued development, including additional salons operated by existing franchisees. However, brand scale alone does not establish the viability of a particular location. The most useful assessment is local: whether sufficient demand, suitable premises and a dependable salon team can support the costs and obligations of the franchise over time.
Great Clips franchise: frequently asked questions
How much does a Great Clips franchise cost?
The total investment includes the franchise fee, premises fit-out, equipment, signage, supplies and working capital. Costs vary by location and whether the opportunity involves a new salon or an existing business. Great Clips provides US investment information in its franchise materials and Franchise Disclosure Document; prospective owners should request the current documents rather than rely on an older advertised range.
How many Great Clips locations are there?
Great Clips has over 4,530 salons across the United States and Canada. Its footprint is concentrated in these two countries rather than spread across a large number of international markets. The network total does not indicate how many territories or existing salons are available to prospective franchisees.
Do Great Clips franchise owners need to be hairdressers?
Great Clips does not require franchise owners themselves to cut hair. Owners recruit appropriately licensed stylists and develop salon managers while overseeing the business. This means the opportunity can suit people with management backgrounds, but it still requires active attention to staffing, service quality, local marketing and operational performance.
Are Great Clips salons franchised?
Great Clips operates through franchised salons owned by independent franchisees. The franchisor supplies the brand, operating systems, technology, marketing support and training resources, while franchisees employ salon staff and manage local operations. Some owners operate multiple salons, which adds responsibilities for management development, staffing coverage and oversight across locations.
Does Great Clips take appointments?
Great Clips generally uses a walk-in model rather than scheduled appointments. Customers can use online check-in to add their name to a participating salon’s waiting list before arriving. This is a queue-management service, not a guaranteed appointment time, and actual waits depend on customer demand and available stylists.
Latest Great Clips news
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Figures are approximate and based on publicly reported information as of 2024. Franchise costs and terms change; prospective franchisees should obtain the brand’s current disclosure documents and take independent legal and financial advice. Profile updated October 2026.