Great Clips Solidifies Stance as Leader in Salon Industry By Opening 4,000th Location

When the recession hit the United States in 2009, Detroit was left reeling. Brian Czopek, a born-and-raised Detroit native, lost his job as a marketing manager in the auto industry. Meanwhile, his wife, Christie, was working as a teacher and in need of a change. Despite the economic downturn sweeping the country, the Czopeks wanted to invest in the economy—in doing so, their goal was to create jobs and opportunity for themselves and others.

In a radical departure from their previous careers, the Czopeks decided to take a chance and open a Great Clips hair salon. Today, that risk paid off—six years later, the couple owns four salons. And their most recent opening on August 11th in Flat Rock, Michigan has earned them—and Detroit—national recognition for opening the 4,000^th Great Clips salon.

“We’re honored to open the 4,000^th salon and continue to grow this business because Great Clips provides the support and guidance to expand with confidence,” Christie said. “This is our fourth Great Clips salon and we plan to open another by the end of the year. My husband, Brian, and I keep investing in this brand because Great Clips invests in us and all its franchisees to make sure we grow and prosper while taking care of our stylists and our customers.”

Great Clips’ success has long been the result of a very simple strategy: from the day the brand opened its first salon in 1982, to the opening of its 4,000^th store, they have always put the customers first. They treat the salon owners, stylists and corporate employees like family. And it’s a strategy that clearly works. In 2016 alone, more than 40,000 licensed Great Clips stylists working for 1,200 franchise owners have delivered more than 100 million haircuts—an amount that equates to nearly two million appointments a week.

The brand’s demand is evident in its growth numbers, too. For 48 consecutive quarters, Great Clips has experienced same-salon-sales growth. That’s nearly 12 years of continued success—a true testament to the brand’s staying power and strong reputation in just about any city in North America. Now, after hitting the important milestone of 4,000 locations, Great Clips has further solidified its stance as the world’s largest and fastest growing salon brand.

“We are thrilled to celebrate this major milestone of our 4,000th salon opening and attribute our success to our dedicated corporate staff, enthusiastic franchise (salon) owners and their talented stylists who work day in and day out to make us the greatest haircare brand in the world,” says Great Clips CEO Rhoda Olsen. “We are proud to have built a company that continues to grow with happy franchisees who open multiple salons; and loyal customers who keep coming back for quality and affordable haircuts.”