Franchise opportunities compared

    Great Clips vs Pigtails & Crewcuts

    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.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Great Clips

    $14,000 – $187,800

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    $159,500 – $384,600

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 21

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Great Clips

    $20,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 18

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    $5,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14

    Royalty · Item 6

    Great Clips

    6%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Before you compare

    • Great Clips figures come from its 2025 FDD and Pigtails & Crewcuts figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Great Clips discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Great Clips: 23, Pigtails & Crewcuts: 6). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Great Clips

    $14,000 – $187,800
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    $159,500 – $384,600
    Total Estimated — $159500
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 21
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Great Clips

    $20,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 18

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    $5,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Great Clips

    6%
    Continuing Franchise Fee
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    5%
    Royalty Fee — 5%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Great Clips

    $5,000
    Initial Advertising Contribution to MDAF
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    2%
    Advertising Fund Fee — 2% — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Great Clips

    4,439
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 69

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    85
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Great Clips

    +12
    Calculated: 4,427 at end of 2022 → 4,439 at end of 2024

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    +7
    Calculated: 78 at end of 2023 → 85 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Great Clips

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Great Clips

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Great Clips

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Pigtails & Crewcuts

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    GCGreat Clips
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Reporting 2024 Salons that provided sufficient data for the Average Operating C…
    $202,219
    other annual Labor
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 63
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Great Clips 2024 Salons in the United States and Canada that were eligible to b…
    $388,522
    other Service Sales average annual sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 62
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Great Clips 2024 Salons in the United States and Canada eligible to be open thr…
    $37,920
    other Total Sales lowest value
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 62
    +20 more groups in the full report
    Pigtails & Crewcuts
    Franchised (77 locations) — other measures
    42 percent
    other All Franchised Salons
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 51
    Franchised (14 locations) — revenue
    $413,921
    other Franchised Salons with Gross Sales Between $350,001 and $500,000
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 51
    Franchised (21 locations) — revenue
    52 percent
    other Franchised Salons with Gross Sales Less than $225,000
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 51
    +3 more groups in the full report

    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.

    Great Clips vs Pigtails & Crewcuts: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Great Clips or Pigtails & Crewcuts?
    Great Clips: $14,000 – $187,800 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Pigtails & Crewcuts: $159,500 – $384,600 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 21). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Great Clips. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Great Clips and Pigtails & Crewcuts royalties compare?
    Great Clips: 6% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22); Pigtails & Crewcuts: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Great Clips or Pigtails & Crewcuts?
    Great Clips: 4,439 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 69); Pigtails & Crewcuts: 85 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 54). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Great Clips and Pigtails & Crewcuts disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Great Clips has reviewed Item 19 figures for 23 location groups; Pigtails & Crewcuts has reviewed Item 19 figures for 6 location groups. 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

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