Bloomington-based Great Clips was ranked eighth on Entrepreneur Magazine's annual Franchise 500 list. Making the top 10 for the second year in a row.
Entrepreneur has been publishing a list of the top franchise companies in North America for the last 40 years. Their proprietary ranking system measures more than 150 data points including: costs and fees; size and growth; support; brand strength; and financial strength and stability.
Number 1 on the 2019 list was McDonalds, followed by Dunkin', Sonic Drive-in, Taco Bell, and The UPS Store round out the top five. Ranked number six was Culver's, Planet Fitness at number 7 and then Great Clips. Rounding out the top 10 were Jersey Mike's Subs and 7-Eleven Inc.
Great Clips was the highest ranked Minnesota-based company on the list. The magazine credits Great Clips innovation for bringing technology to the hands-on-heads industry of cutting hair.
The Great Clips mobile app that allows for remote check-in to any nearby franchise location was launched in 2016 and according to the magazine has now been downloaded more than 10 million times.
"The app takes the front door of our 4,513 salons and inserts it into our customers' pockets," Great Clips CEO Steve Hockett told the magazine.
Technology helps customers through the doors and their Clip Notes database follows customers into the stylist's chairs. That program allows any stylist at any salon to check notes on the customers haircut preferences.
Great Clips slipped one spot from their # 7 ranking in 2018, but over the previous 10 years they've not ranked lower than 100 and have consistently ranked in the top 50 of the list..
Other Minnesota companies among the top 50 were Anytime Fitness and Dairy Queen ranked #20 and #21. Supercuts a brand of Edina-based Regis Corp. was ranked 31st, dropping from #14 on the 2018 list.
