# Supercuts Item 19 Deep Dive: $297K Median Across 1,661 Salons

> Supercuts Item 19: $297K median across 1,661 franchised salons in fiscal 2024-2025. Why the modest revenue still works at low investment, and how Supercuts compares to Great Clips and Sport Clips.

**Last updated**: 2026-06-05
**URL**: https://vetmyfranchise.com/blog/supercuts-item-19-deep-dive?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md

> **Quick answer:** [Supercuts](/franchise/supercuts-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md)' Item 19 reports a $297K median across 1,661 franchised salons for fiscal year 2024-2025 — a large, conservative disclosure. The absolute revenue is modest, but the AUV-to-investment ratio at the midpoint runs ~1.7× because hair-services cost structure scales down with revenue. The brand sits below [Great Clips](/franchise/great-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) and [Sport Clips](/franchise/sport-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) on absolute AUV, reflecting positioning differences and category share dynamics. Hair franchises work as low-capital, low-complexity operating models — [Supercuts](/franchise/supercuts-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) fits that profile, just at slightly tighter unit economics than the category leaders.

## The Disclosure

Supercuts' most recent Item 19:

| Metric | Value |
|---|---:|
| Sample size | 1,661 franchised salons |
| Sample criteria | All franchised units |
| Reporting period | Fiscal year 2024-2025 |
| Median annual revenue | $297,216 |
| Total investment (Item 7) | $1,000 - $353,460 |
| Franchise fee | $12,500 |
| Royalty rate | 4% |
| Ad fund | 5% |

The 1,661-salon sample is methodologically robust. The disclosed median ($297K) sits below the two main hair-services franchise comparables — [Great Clips](/franchise/great-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) at $382K and [Sport Clips](/franchise/sport-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) at $409K (with [Sport Clips](/franchise/sport-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md)' tenure filter inflating its number relative to all-salon disclosures).

The unusually wide investment range ($1K-$353K) reflects two genuinely different entry paths: existing-salon acquisition (where the buyer takes over operations at minimal incremental capital) and new-build greenfield. The acquisition path is the lower-risk, lower-capital entry for first-time franchisees; new-builds carry the higher capital burden but also the higher revenue ceiling.

## Why the Absolute Revenue Sits Below Category Leaders

Supercuts produces a median annual revenue ($297K) that's about 78% of [Great Clips](/franchise/great-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) ($382K) and 73% of [Sport Clips](/franchise/sport-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) ($409K, mature-salon filter). Three structural factors explain the gap:

**Positioning has narrowed.** Supercuts targets a unisex, value-positioned customer base. That used to be the dominant hair-services positioning in the 1990s-2000s — and Supercuts captured it. Since then, the category has fragmented: Sport Clips took the men-focused segment, [Great Clips](/franchise/great-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) took the children-and-family-segment, premium chains took the women-with-disposable-income segment, and Supercuts has retained the middle without clear positioning advantage.

**Customer mix dynamics.** Supercuts customers skew older than Sport Clips and Great Clips, which compounds the share-shift problem over time. New customers entering the hair-services category are more likely to select Sport Clips (men) or Great Clips (families) before considering Supercuts. The customer base ages with the brand rather than refreshing.

**System maturity.** The Supercuts system has stabilized at ~1,660 franchised salons rather than growing. Mature systems with stable footprints typically produce lower per-salon AUV than growth-mode systems, because the trade-area saturation effect compresses individual salon performance.

For a buyer, the implication is that Supercuts is **a mature, stable, lower-growth franchise** rather than a brand on an upward trajectory. The deal works at the disclosed economics, but expectations of system-level revenue lift from brand momentum are misplaced.

## The Ratio Math Still Works

A $297K median against $177K of investment (Item 7 midpoint) produces a ratio of roughly 1.7×. That ratio is genuinely competitive — not just within hair-services, but against most franchise categories.

The reason hair-services franchise economics work at low absolute AUV is the cost structure:
- **Rent**: 800-1,400 square feet of in-line strip-center space, often $4K-$8K/month
- **Labor**: stylists are 100% commission-and-tips in most models, so labor cost flexes with revenue
- **Supplies**: shampoo, color, blow-dry products — modest absolute spend
- **Equipment**: chairs, mirrors, sinks — low capital, long replacement cycle

Operating expense scales down proportionately with revenue. A $250K salon operates at similar margin percentage as a $400K salon — there's no operational complexity that requires a fixed-cost floor.

The result is that a Supercuts salon at the disclosed median produces $40K-$60K of owner cash flow at year-three steady-state — modest in absolute dollars, but materially better than the average small business of comparable revenue.

## How Supercuts Compares to Hair-Services Peers

| Brand | Sample | Median AUV | Investment | AUV/Investment |
|---|---:|---:|---|---:|
| Supercuts | 1,661 | $297K | $1K-$353K | 1.7× |
| [Great Clips](/franchise/great-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) | 4,147 | $382K | $144K-$307K | 1.7× |
| [Sport Clips](/franchise/sport-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) | 1,669 (mature) | $409K | $258K-$483K | 1.1× |
| Hair Cuttery | smaller | $300K-$500K (est.) | $200K-$400K | 1.5× |
| Cost Cutters | smaller | $250K-$400K (est.) | $150K-$300K | 1.5× |
| [Fantastic Sams](/franchise/fantastic-sams-franchise-corporation?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) | smaller | $250K-$350K (est.) | $130K-$280K | 1.5× |

Supercuts sits in the middle of the hair-services peer set on absolute AUV but produces ratios comparable to Great Clips, the category leader. Sport Clips outpaces on absolute revenue (with mature-salon filter) but at higher investment. The hair-services category is broadly consistent on ratios in the 1.5-2× range.

For deeper category context, see our [Great Clips Item 19 deep dive](/blog/great-clips-item-19-deep-dive?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) and [Sport Clips Item 19 deep dive](/blog/sport-clips-item-19-deep-dive?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md).

## Year-One Reality

A new Supercuts salon in months 1-12 typically generates:

- Months 1-3: $14K-$22K monthly revenue (opening, customer base build)
- Months 4-6: $18K-$26K monthly revenue (repeat cycle establishing)
- Months 7-9: $20K-$28K monthly revenue (regular customer base solidifying)
- Months 10-12: $22K-$30K monthly revenue (approaching steady-state)
- Annualized year-one: $195K-$240K

That's 65-80% of system median. Hair-services ramps faster than most franchise categories because:
1. The visit cycle is short (4-8 weeks for haircuts; 8-12 weeks for color)
2. Customers don't switch salons casually — once acquired, retention is high
3. Walk-in traffic in well-positioned trade areas produces day-one revenue

Year two typically reaches the system median. The strongest salons (P75+ territory) typically have:
- High-foot-traffic locations (grocery anchor, big-box anchor)
- Strong stylist team continuity (stylist retention drives customer retention)
- Active color-services attachment (color customers spend 3-5× per visit)

## What This Means for Buyers

- **The brand is mature, not declining — but not growing.** Supercuts is a stable franchise to buy if you want predictable economics. It's not a brand-momentum play.
- **The ratio is the appeal.** 1.7× midpoint AUV-to-investment is competitive across categories. The absolute dollar return is modest; the return on capital is reasonable.
- **Acquisition is the better entry path.** Buying an existing salon at the low end of the investment range ($30K-$80K) carries lower risk than greenfield ($200K-$350K) for first-time franchisees, particularly given the slower brand-momentum picture.
- **Color services drive the upside.** P75+ salons typically have 30-40% color mix vs. system average of 20-25%. The skill investment in color stylist team is the highest-leverage operating decision.
- **Operator profile fits semi-passive ownership.** Hair-services is one of the more absentee-friendly franchise categories. Multi-salon owners with good GM hires routinely run 3-10 salons each.

For broader category context, see our [best hair franchise breakdown](/blog/best-hair-salon-franchises?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md) and [Item 19 average vs. median](/blog/item-19-average-vs-median-survivorship-bias?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md). For brand-specific cost detail, the live [Supercuts franchise page](/franchise/supercuts-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md).

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## Brands mentioned in this post

- [Great Clips](/franchise/great-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md)
- [Sport Clips](/franchise/sport-clips-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md)
- [Supercuts](/franchise/supercuts-inc?utm_source=claude&utm_medium=ai_referral&utm_campaign=vmf_agent_md)
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