Franchise opportunities compared
Merle Norman Cosmetics vs VIO Med Spa
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 VIO Med Spa has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
| Disclosure |  Merle Norman Cosmetics |  VIO Med Spa |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $47,870 – $262,938 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $642,722 Single Spa total investment range 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 30 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $0.00 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 14 | $50,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 22 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | 6% Royalty weekly gross sales alternative fixed regulatory 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 23 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | $14 SMS Texting Marketing — $14 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16 | 1.5% Brand fund current monthly — 1.5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 23 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 757 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 44 | 64 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −74 Calculated: 831 at end of 2023 → 757 at end of 2025 | +30 Calculated: 34 at end of 2023 → 64 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 | 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 — Company Spa 1; opened October2016 convertedJanuary2018 $89,876 other Table1 Owner Operator Salary 7 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company Spa 2; opened February2020 8.6 percent other Table2 Gross Sales: Membership Fees %grosssales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 67 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 51 operational franchise outlets age1+calendar years including2025; 16Spa 35Spa… $2,320,621 other Table3 age1+years 1 st Quartile · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 69 +13 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.
Merle Norman Cosmetics vs VIO Med Spa: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Merle Norman Cosmetics or VIO Med Spa?
- Merle Norman Cosmetics: $47,870 – $262,938 (2026 FDD · Item 7); VIO Med Spa: $642,722 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 30). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Merle Norman Cosmetics. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, Merle Norman Cosmetics or VIO Med Spa?
- Merle Norman Cosmetics: 757 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 44); VIO Med Spa: 64 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Merle Norman Cosmetics and VIO Med Spa disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Merle Norman Cosmetics makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; VIO Med Spa has reviewed Item 19 figures for 16 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.