Great Clips Targets Canada and Northeastern United States for 2020 Franchise Growth

Great Clips may be a household name in the United States and Canada, with nearly 4,500 salons and over 1,000 franchise owners, but the hair salon brand still has plenty of available franchise territory in both countries.

There are many reasons to franchise with Great Clips. For one, the brand provides a recession- resistant service in the age of e-commerce.

In addition, the brand had a strong 2019, one served by industry recognition and the implementation of industry best practices. Great Clips nabbed a spot on Franchise Times’ Top 200+ List for 2019, coming in at No. 82. And the brand started implementing a proprietary salon management solution called Salon X, a multi-year initiative that will enhance the way the brand serves and engages with customers. Salon X has already been implemented in about half of the brand’s salons and will continue rollout throughout the rest of the franchise system in 2020.

“We’re coming up on 40 years of franchising and continuing to grow,” Great Clips, Inc. Director of Franchise Development Beth Nilssen said. “There are still plenty of opportunities to franchise with Great Clips. It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the economy—people want to get a good haircut for a great price. Great Clips is poised to continue its upward trajectory in 2020 and bring on new franchisees.”

Within Canada, the brand is especially focused on the national capital city of Ottawa, as well as the province of Manitoba and that province’s capital city of Winnipeg.

“Great Clips has been in Canada for 15 years and we have more than 150 salons in the country,” Nilssen said. “Most of our salons there are on the country’s west coast or in the Greater Toronto Area. Ottawa and Winnipeg are the next major metropolitan markets in which we want to establish a presence. In doing so, we’ll really bridge that gap between our eastern and western markets.”

In terms of U.S. growth, Great Clips is especially interested in the Northeast, including Boston, Connecticut, New York’s Long Island, Upstate New York and Providence, Rhode Island. The brand is currently seeing great success in Upstate New York thanks to franchisees such as Dan Friend, who owns nine salons in the region.

“The northeastern United States was one of the last frontiers for our brand’s development,” Nilssen said. “We’re just getting started growing the brand within these markets.”

Great Clips is also interested in coastal growth in the metro areas of Los Angeles, the Bay Area,  Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Washington, D.C.

“We have the available territory and we’re ready to speak with prospective entrepreneurs who are ready to take the leap into business ownership,” Nilssen said. “Great Clips is a great brand for someone who wants to own their own business but still have the security of joining a strong and established franchise system.”

The startup costs for a Great Clips franchise range from $136,900 to $259,400. The franchise fee is $20,000. To learn more about franchising with Great Clips, visit https://www.greatclipsfranchise.com/.