Great Clips vs Supercuts franchise USA 2026: which one wins on real numbers?
Supercuts is the lighter bet on entry — $186K vs $188K (about $2K less). Great Clips runs the bigger network at 4441 vs 1701 outlets.
01 What actually matters
Numbers that separate them on a 5-year horizon — not the franchise-development pitch.
Great Clips has 2.6× more outlets than Supercuts (4441 vs 1701) — more brand recognition and supplier scale, but also denser intra-brand competition in saturated markets.
Great Clips is expanding fastest here — 101 outlets per year since founding in 1982. High-velocity brands signal momentum but also mean new territory for individual franchisees gets handed out quickly; lock in your preferred area early.
02 The numbers, visualised
Primary format per brand, from FDD Item 7. A brand's smaller express or non-traditional formats can cost materially less.
Initial investment (FDD Item 7)
Total initial investment, low end of each brand's FDD Item 7 range for its primary format. Several US brands also run smaller express, non-traditional or conversion formats at materially lower investment — check the brand page for the full Item 7 table.
Network scale — total outlets
Total US outlets from FDD Item 20. Bigger networks mean more brand recognition and supplier scale; smaller ones mean less intra-brand competition in your trade area.
Customer ratings
Which brand's outlets are rated higher by customers, aggregated across locations. Exact star rating and review volume are in Brand Health.
Direction only — the underlying rating & review count are Pro data.
03 Side-by-side
Straight from each brand’s FDD. Green badge marks the more favourable value for a typical first-time operator.
| Metric | Great Clips | Supercuts |
|---|---|---|
| Initial investment (Item 7) | $188K | $186K ↓ Lower |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 6% | 6% |
| Gross margin | — | — |
| Min space (sq ft) | 900 | 900 |
| Total US outlets (Item 20) | 4441 ↑ Bigger | 1701 |
| Franchise fee (Item 5) | $20K ↓ Lower | $40K |
| Additional funds | — | — |
Not sure if Great Clips or Supercuts actually fits *you*?
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04 Explore these brands in depth
Same data plus the full FDD breakdown, fee load, contract fairness and SBA lending picture — free on every brand page.
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05 Frequently asked
Wrapped in FAQPage JSON-LD for SERP rich-result eligibility.
What is the cheapest Beauty & Personal Care franchise in the US?
The lowest-investment option here is Supercuts starting from $186K. Remember this is the LOW end of the brand's FDD Item 7 initial-investment range — Item 7's high end is the number to plan against, and it sits before the working capital you burn until the unit turns over.
Do these Beauty & Personal Care franchises offer territorial rights?
Territory is FDD Item 12, and it is where Beauty & Personal Care franchisors differ most. Some grant a protected radius or a defined trade area; many grant no exclusivity at all and reserve the right to open company units, non-traditional locations or e-commerce channels inside your area. Read Item 12 word for word — "protected territory" and "exclusive territory" are not the same thing — then ask existing franchisees whether the brand has honoured it.
What is the best Beauty & Personal Care franchise in the US in 2026?
Among the 2 brands FRANticc compares, the top options by network size are Great Clips, Supercuts (Great Clips: 4441 stores, Supercuts: 1701 stores). The lowest investment entry is Supercuts from $186K. "Best" depends on your capital, your market and how hands-on you plan to be — this page gives you the data for all three dimensions.
Can I own multiple Beauty & Personal Care franchises?
Yes — multi-unit ownership is the norm in mature US Beauty & Personal Care systems, and most franchisors sell it as an area development agreement: a fee paid up front for the right to open N units on a fixed schedule inside a defined territory. The terms sit in FDD Items 5 and 12. Miss the development schedule and the franchisor can usually reclaim the territory, so treat the schedule as a covenant, not a target.
How many Beauty & Personal Care franchise brands are available in the US?
FRANticc's database lists 2 brands matching this comparison with verified investment data, store counts, and format details. Several more are covered across our full directory. Every figure is traced to the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document.