Franchise opportunities compared
Merle Norman Cosmetics vs The Tox
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
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Merle Norman Cosmetics discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Only The Tox has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
| Disclosure |  Merle Norman Cosmetics |  The Tox |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $47,870 – $262,938 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $331,500 – $591,240 Single business — TOTAL 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 20 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $0.00 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14 | $49,500 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | $1,500 USD per month minimum (royalty otherwise 8% of Gross Revenue.) Continuing Royalty Fee — monthly minimum 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | $14 SMS Texting Marketing — $14 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16 | 2% of gross revenue; payable weekly. Brand Fund Contribution 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 757 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 44 | 86 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −74 Calculated: 831 at end of 2023 → 757 at end of 2025 | +64 Calculated: 22 at end of 2023 → 86 at end of 2025 |
| 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 | February 2021 2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8 |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | 2021; formed in California on January 24. 2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8 |
| 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 $72,725 other Total Cost of Goods Sold · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 48 |
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.