Which costs less to open, Dealer Specialties or Gnc Holdings?

Dealer Specialties: $17,400 – $44,900 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 12); Gnc Holdings: $31,870 – $530,342 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Dealer Specialties. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.

How do Dealer Specialties and Gnc Holdings royalties compare?

Dealer Specialties: $100 (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9); Gnc Holdings: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 39). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.

Which has more locations, Dealer Specialties or Gnc Holdings?

Dealer Specialties: 21 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 31); Gnc Holdings: 1,960 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 109). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.

Do Dealer Specialties and Gnc Holdings disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Dealer Specialties makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Gnc Holdings has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Franchise opportunities compared

Dealer Specialties vs Gnc Holdings

Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

Dealer Specialties2025 FDD

Gnc Holdings2026 FDD

Initial investment · Item 7

Dealer Specialties

$17,400 – $44,900

2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 12

Gnc Holdings

$31,870 – $530,342

2026 FDD · Item 7

Initial franchise fee · Item 5

Dealer Specialties

$10,000

2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 9

Gnc Holdings

Not available

Royalty · Item 6

Dealer Specialties

$100

2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9

Gnc Holdings

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 39

Before you compare

Dealer Specialties figures come from its 2025 FDD and Gnc Holdings figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
Gnc Holdings discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
Only Gnc Holdings has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

Financial commitment

Disclosure

Dealer Specialties

Gnc Holdings

Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

Dealer Specialties

$17,400 – $44,900

Total initial investment (range 17400–44900)

2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 12

Gnc Holdings

$31,870 – $530,342

2026 FDD · Item 7

Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

Dealer Specialties

$10,000

2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 9

Gnc Holdings

Not available

No single standard fee identified

Royalty (Item 6)

Dealer Specialties

$100

Royalty and continuing service minimum per dealer lot

2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9

Gnc Holdings

Royalty

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 39

Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

Dealer Specialties

$0.03

Advertising fee per unique VIN

2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9

Gnc Holdings

National advertising fee — 3%

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 39

System scale & health

Disclosure

Dealer Specialties

Gnc Holdings

Total outlets (Item 20)

Dealer Specialties

Outlets at end of 2024

2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 31

Gnc Holdings

1,960

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 109

Net outlet change (Item 20)

Dealer Specialties

−63

Calculated: 84 at end of 2022 → 21 at end of 2024

Gnc Holdings

+1,210

Calculated: 750 at end of 2023 → 1,960 at end of 2025

Outlet exits (Item 20)

Dealer Specialties

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Gnc Holdings

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Franchising since (Item 1)

Dealer Specialties

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Gnc Holdings

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Franchisor founded (Item 1)

Dealer Specialties

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Gnc Holdings

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

Dealer Specialties

Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

Gnc Holdings

Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record

259 stores

other Stores at or above average

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 108

Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

Dealer Specialties vs Gnc Holdings: common questions

Which costs less to open, Dealer Specialties or Gnc Holdings?: Dealer Specialties: $17,400 – $44,900 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 12); Gnc Holdings: $31,870 – $530,342 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Dealer Specialties. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
How do Dealer Specialties and Gnc Holdings royalties compare?: Dealer Specialties: $100 (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9); Gnc Holdings: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 39). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
Which has more locations, Dealer Specialties or Gnc Holdings?: Dealer Specialties: 21 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 31); Gnc Holdings: 1,960 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 109). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
Do Dealer Specialties and Gnc Holdings disclose financial performance (Item 19)?: Dealer Specialties makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Gnc Holdings has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

How Franopolis reviews FDD figures