Franchise opportunities compared
Merle Norman Cosmetics vs Sugaring LA
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.
Before you compare
- Merle Norman Cosmetics figures come from its 2026 FDD and Sugaring LA figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
- Merle Norman Cosmetics discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Only Sugaring LA has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
| Disclosure |  Merle Norman Cosmetics |  Sugaring LA |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $47,870 – $262,938 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $313,250 – $431,500 Single studio — Grand Total 2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 18 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $0.00 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14 | $60,000 2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | $6.00 Royalty Fee — 6% 2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | $14 SMS Texting Marketing — $14 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16 | $2.00 Marketing Fee — 2% 2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 757 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 44 | 8 Outlets at end of 2024 2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −74 Calculated: 831 at end of 2023 → 757 at end of 2025 | +3 Calculated: 5 at end of 2022 → 8 at end of 2024 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Affiliate Studio #2; one of all 4 measured affiliate studios; no affiliate excl… 2 rooms other Studio #2 · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 46 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Affiliate Studio #3; one of all 4 measured affiliate studios; no affiliate excl… 3 rooms other Studio #3 · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 46 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Affiliate Studio #4; one of all 4 measured affiliate studios; no affiliate excl… 3 rooms other Studio #4 · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 46 +1 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.