Franchisor Stories
Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: SmartStyle is a value-focused hair salon brand located inside Walmart stores that provides convenient, affordable hair care services for families.
SmartStyle is a full-service hair salon brand designed to provide affordable, convenient hair care for families. The brand focuses on accessibility and value, offering services for men, women and children including haircuts, color services, styling and waxing. With trained professional stylists and recognizable hair care products, SmartStyle has become one of the most widely distributed salon brands in North America.
SmartStyle is part of Regis Corporation, one of the largest franchised hair care companies in the beauty industry. Regis is headquartered in Minneapolis and operates or franchises thousands of salons worldwide under brands such as Supercuts, Cost Cutters and Roosters.
SmartStyle salons are located inside Walmart Supercenters throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, making them easily accessible to everyday shoppers.
Mission: SmartStyle’s mission is to provide affordable, convenient salon services delivered by trained stylists so customers can look and feel their best.
Vision: The brand aims to be the most accessible family salon in North America by combining professional hair care with everyday convenience.
SmartStyle locations operate primarily inside Walmart Supercenters throughout North America. Prospective franchisees can inquire about available territories through the franchise inquiry form on the Regis franchising website.
Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of a SmartStyle franchise ranges from $184,440 to $336,340. The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) breaks these costs down as follows:
| Type of Expenditure | Min | Max |
| Initial Franchise Fee/Development Fee | $39,500 | $39,500 |
| Leasehold Improvements | $60,000 | $120,000 |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment & Supplies | $30,000 | $50,000 |
| Construction Management Services Fee | $5,500 | $7,500 |
| Construction & Design Plan Review | $500 | $1,000 |
| Post Build Review | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| Professional Fees | $6,000 | $12,000 |
| Computer Software (POS System) | $2,040 | $2,040 |
| Computer Hardware/Installation and Onsite Training | $400 | $2,000 |
| Opening Inventory | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| Travel & Living Expenses During Orientation Training | $0 | $5,500 |
| First & Last Month’s Rent/Security Deposit | $3,000 | $16,800 |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Signs | $6,000 | $12,000 |
| Additional Funds (3-6 Months) | $15,000 | $45,000 |
Initial Franchise Fee: The initial franchise fee is $39,500. The brand offers 3-salon and 6-salon development agreements under its Fast Start Program, where the development fee covers both development rights and franchise rights for all locations in the agreement. The fee is nonrefundable under any circumstances, even if the franchisee does not move forward or fails to open the required salons.
Ongoing Fees: According to the 2025 FDD, SmartStyle franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:
| Type of Fee | Amount |
| Continuing fees | 4-5% gross sales/week |
| Advertising | 2-2.5% gross sales/week |
| Sublease | $1,000 - $5,600/month |
ROI Potential: SmartStyle does not provide earnings projections or financial performance representations of its company-owned or franchised outlets.
Regis assists franchisees with salon design, site approval and lease negotiations. The company works with experienced real estate partners to help identify strong locations and ensure the salon layout supports efficient operations.
Regis provides extensive training covering customer service, salon operations, staff management and sales tracking. Training includes operational procedures and best practices developed across thousands of salon locations.
Franchisees receive continued operational support from Regis including marketing programs, merchandising guidance and promotional campaigns designed to drive salon traffic.
SmartStyle franchisees gain access to operational systems that help manage scheduling, customer relationships and sales tracking. Marketing support, merchandising systems and salon education resources are also provided to help franchisees improve performance and maintain consistent brand standards.
Salon experience is not required. Regis notes that many successful franchisees come from business management backgrounds rather than the hair care industry. Strong leadership, people management skills and the ability to follow a proven system are key traits the company looks for in franchise partners.
SmartStyle salons typically operate during retail shopping hours since most locations are inside Walmart stores. Franchisees are responsible for hiring and managing licensed stylists, maintaining salon standards and overseeing daily operations. Many owners operate multiple salons and manage them with store managers.
Regis can refer qualified franchise candidates to financing companies that specialize in franchise lending.
The U.S. hair care services industry remains a large and resilient market. Industry research found that the hair salon market is estimated to reach $233.3 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 3.9% from 2025 to 2034, supported by recurring customer demand for haircuts, color services and grooming.
Hair care services are considered essential personal care services that cannot be outsourced or replaced by technology, helping maintain steady demand even during economic shift
SmartStyle competes by combining professional salon services with unmatched convenience through its Walmart locations. Major competitors in the value hair salon segment include Supercuts, Great Clips and Cost Cutters.
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