Great Clips, Inc.

Is Great Clips publicly traded?
No, Great Clips, Inc. is a privately held company. It does not have publicly traded stock and does not disclose detailed corporate financial results. The company is owned by its founders, their families, and internal stakeholders. Great Clips has remained private throughout its 40-plus year history, allowing for long-term strategic planning without public shareholder pressure.

Who founded Great Clips?
Great Clips was founded in 1982 by Steve Lemmon and David Rubenzer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The founders established the company with a focus on providing affordable, convenient haircut services through a franchise model. The company began franchising in 1983, one year after its founding, and has been 100 percent franchised throughout its history.

How many Great Clips locations are there?
Great Clips operates 4,441 franchised salons as of 2025, across all 50 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces. The company is 100 percent franchised, with 0 company-owned locations. Approximately 700 franchisees operate all salons, employing more than 30,000 stylists. The largest state concentration is Texas with 438 salons. Unit count has been stable, growing from 4,427 in 2023 to 4,441 in 2025.

Who is the CEO of Great Clips?
Rob Goggins serves as President and CEO as of January 1, 2026. He succeeded Steve Hockett, who retired after more than 35 years with the brand. Goggins has been with Great Clips since 2007, previously serving as vice president of franchise development, COO (2014), and president (2018). He has 22 years of experience in franchising.

What is Great Clips' revenue?
Great Clips does not disclose corporate revenue as a private company. However, the 2026 FDD disclosed that the average total sales per salon were $410,783 in 2025, with a median of $390,685. Based on 4,441 salons, system-wide sales are estimated at approximately $1.8 billion. The royalty fee is 6 percent of gross sales. Average operating cash flow per salon was $83,504 among salons with complete financial data.

Does Great Clips franchise?
Yes, Great Clips is 100 percent franchised. All 4,441 salons are independently owned and operated by approximately 700 franchisees. The corporate entity owns zero salons. The initial franchise fee ranges from $20,000 to $35,000, the total initial investment ranges from $187,800 to $419,900, and the ongoing royalty is 6 percent of gross sales. Great Clips was ranked #1 in its category in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 for the eighth consecutive year in 2025.

How does Great Clips compare to Supercuts?
Both Great Clips and Supercuts are major salon franchises, but they differ in ownership and scale. Great Clips is privately held with 4,441 locations and is 100 percent franchised. Supercuts is owned by Regis Corporation, which is publicly traded, and has approximately 2,400 locations. Great Clips is the larger brand by location count and operates entirely through franchisees, while Regis operates a mix of franchised and company-owned salons.

Great Clips was founded in 1982 by Steve Lemmon and David Rubenzer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The founders established the company with a focus on providing affordable, convenient haircut services through a franchise model. The original concept emphasized quick service, consistent quality, and accessible pricing for families and individuals.

The company began franchising in 1983, one year after its founding. The franchise model became the foundation of Great Clips' growth strategy. By operating 100 percent franchised, the company expanded rapidly without the capital requirements of company-owned locations.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Great Clips expanded across North America, establishing itself as a major player in the salon franchise industry. The company developed comprehensive training programs, standardized operational procedures, and marketing systems to support franchisees. Ray Barton, the brother of co-founder David Rubenzer's wife, joined the company and played a key role in its expansion. Rhoda Olsen, Barton's sister, joined Great Clips in 1984 as a training consultant and later served as CEO from 2002 to 2015.

Steve Hockett started with Great Clips as a franchisee in 1988 and became CEO in 2018. He retired in 2025 after more than 35 years with the brand. Under Hockett's leadership, the company achieved 16 consecutive quarters of growth following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rob Goggins succeeded Hockett as CEO on January 1, 2026. Goggins joined Great Clips in 2007 as vice president of franchise development, became COO in 2014, and was named president in 2018. Prior to Great Clips, he served as vice president of development for Service Brands International.

In recent years, Great Clips has invested in technology to enhance the customer experience. The company launched a new consumer website and mobile app, along with Online Check-In and Clip Notes features that allow customers to save haircut preferences and check in remotely. The company is testing AI for demand forecasting and stylist scheduling to improve salon efficiency and reduce wait times. Great Clips is also rolling out its new Greenlight salon design across existing and new locations.

The company has formed high-profile sports partnerships with the NCAA and NHL to maintain brand awareness. Through 2028, Great Clips is executing a strategic plan centered on brand delivery, with an emphasis on affordability, convenience, and consistency.

Great Clips has received multiple franchise industry awards:

• Entrepreneur's Franchise 500: Ranked #1 in category for the eighth consecutive year (2025)
• Franchise Times Top 400: Consistently ranked among the largest U.S. franchises
• Forbes recognition as one of the best franchises in America
• Multiple workplace and culture awards recognizing employee retention and company values

Great Clips has faced relatively limited controversy compared to publicly traded restaurant and retail franchise chains, partly because its private status reduces public scrutiny.

The company has faced scrutiny over franchisee labor practices. As a 100 percent franchised system, Great Clips does not directly employ salon workers. Stylists are employed by individual franchisees, and wage and hour disputes have occurred at individual locations. Great Clips' franchise agreements require compliance with labor laws, but enforcement depends on individual franchisee operations.

The salon industry has faced broader scrutiny over the use of independent contractor classification for stylists in some states. Great Clips franchisees primarily employ stylists as W-2 employees rather than independent contractors, which reduces this regulatory risk compared to some competitors.

Rising haircut prices have drawn consumer attention. CEO Rob Goggins acknowledged that consumers are "increasingly focused on receiving clear and consistent value in return for the higher prices." The company has responded by investing in the customer experience, including salon environment, technology, and consistency.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Great Clips faced significant operational challenges as salon closures were mandated in many states. The company temporarily closed locations and implemented safety protocols upon reopening. The pandemic interrupted a 14-year sales-growth streak, but the company has since achieved 16 consecutive quarters of growth.