Growth isn't always driven by white space on a map. Sometimes it's driven by customers who are waiting too long for a haircut. As Sport Clips Haircuts enters its next phase of expansion, the nearly 1,800-unit brand is using one of its most valuable data points to determine where expansion makes the most sense: wait times.
“We are reevaluating where to grow in markets based on wait times in other markets,” said Brent Greenwood, vice president of franchise development. “If we have consistent wait times beyond 25 minutes in a region, we know there is more demand for the brand and we can capture that demand by adding stores in nearby markets.”
For prospective Sport Clips franchise owners, known within the brand as Team Leaders, that means many of the newest growth opportunities aren't based on speculation. They're based on existing consumer demand.
For many franchise systems, expansion decisions begin with population growth projections or available real estate. Sport Clips certainly considers those factors, but it puts customer demand first. Because the brand's proprietary technology lets customers check wait times before visiting a store, Sport Clips has clear visibility into where demand exceeds capacity.
"Long wait times on the app aren't the best way to build new client demand," Greenwood said. "The brand must address this to capture new clients who increasingly make their decisions based on convenience."
Rather than accepting long wait times as a sign of success, the company views them as an opportunity to better serve customers while creating additional business opportunities for Team Leaders.
Opening new locations isn't simply about adding more stores. Sport Clips carefully evaluates how each new store will affect the surrounding market.
"We also do cannibalization studies to ensure that when we open in a new area, it is not negatively impacting other Team Leaders in that area," Greenwood said. "We only open as many stores as we can support. We want our Team Leaders to do well over the long term."
Before approving a new location, Greenwood said, the company studies traffic patterns, customer density, demographics, existing store performance and market demand to ensure that expansion strengthens the system instead of diluting it.
Not every new Sport Clips location is being developed by a first-time owner. Many are coming from experienced Team Leaders who already understand their local markets.
“We have some licenses that existing Team Leaders have purchased the rights to and have first right of refusal,” Greenwood said. “It's just about finding the right sites to open those stores in. It's really a combination of new Team Leaders and existing Team Leaders expanding their portfolio.”
Sport Clips’ manager-led model supports that type of multi-unit growth. The average Sport Clips Team Leader owns more than six locations.
Although Sport Clips continues to identify expansion opportunities nationwide, leadership sees particular momentum in several regions.
"We don't want to rule out any market with a great Team Leader," Greenwood said. "But there are some regions of the country, such as the Northeast, Upper Midwest and West where we are particularly focused on growing."
Even within mature markets, however, opportunities continue to emerge. Sometimes that means developing a single additional location in an established territory where demand has grown beyond current capacity. In other cases, it involves acquisitions or larger multi-unit development opportunities.
"We really have opportunities in just about every part of the country," Greenwood said.
Every expansion decision at Sport Clips begins with a simple question: Where are customers telling us they need another store?
For entrepreneurs exploring franchise ownership, that means many of today's expansion opportunities already come with something every business owner hopes to find: built-in demand.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sport-clips.
Sport Clips
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By analyzing customer wait times, demographic trends and market data, Sport Clips is identifying exactly where demand is outpacing capacity.
Growth isn't always driven by white space on a map. Sometimes it's driven by customers who are waiting too long for a haircut. As Sport Clips Haircuts enters its next phase of expansion, the nearly 1,800-unit brand is using one of its most valuable data points to determine where expansion makes the most sense: wait times.
“We are reevaluating where to grow in markets based on wait times in other markets,” said Brent Greenwood, vice president of franchise development. “If we have consistent wait times beyond 25 minutes in a region, we know there is more demand for the brand and we can capture that demand by adding stores in nearby markets.”
For prospective Sport Clips franchise owners, known within the brand as Team Leaders, that means many of the newest growth opportunities aren't based on speculation. They're based on existing consumer demand.
For many franchise systems, expansion decisions begin with population growth projections or available real estate. Sport Clips certainly considers those factors, but it puts customer demand first. Because the brand's proprietary technology lets customers check wait times before visiting a store, Sport Clips has clear visibility into where demand exceeds capacity.
"Long wait times on the app aren't the best way to build new client demand," Greenwood said. "The brand must address this to capture new clients who increasingly make their decisions based on convenience."
Rather than accepting long wait times as a sign of success, the company views them as an opportunity to better serve customers while creating additional business opportunities for Team Leaders.
Opening new locations isn't simply about adding more stores. Sport Clips carefully evaluates how each new store will affect the surrounding market.
"We also do cannibalization studies to ensure that when we open in a new area, it is not negatively impacting other Team Leaders in that area," Greenwood said. "We only open as many stores as we can support. We want our Team Leaders to do well over the long term."
Before approving a new location, Greenwood said, the company studies traffic patterns, customer density, demographics, existing store performance and market demand to ensure that expansion strengthens the system instead of diluting it.
Not every new Sport Clips location is being developed by a first-time owner. Many are coming from experienced Team Leaders who already understand their local markets.
“We have some licenses that existing Team Leaders have purchased the rights to and have first right of refusal,” Greenwood said. “It's just about finding the right sites to open those stores in. It's really a combination of new Team Leaders and existing Team Leaders expanding their portfolio.”
Sport Clips’ manager-led model supports that type of multi-unit growth. The average Sport Clips Team Leader owns more than six locations.
Although Sport Clips continues to identify expansion opportunities nationwide, leadership sees particular momentum in several regions.
"We don't want to rule out any market with a great Team Leader," Greenwood said. "But there are some regions of the country, such as the Northeast, Upper Midwest and West where we are particularly focused on growing."
Even within mature markets, however, opportunities continue to emerge. Sometimes that means developing a single additional location in an established territory where demand has grown beyond current capacity. In other cases, it involves acquisitions or larger multi-unit development opportunities.
"We really have opportunities in just about every part of the country," Greenwood said.
Every expansion decision at Sport Clips begins with a simple question: Where are customers telling us they need another store?
For entrepreneurs exploring franchise ownership, that means many of today's expansion opportunities already come with something every business owner hopes to find: built-in demand.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sport-clips.
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