Great Clips runs on a walk-in, no-appointment model, which means a salon's value sits mostly in its stylist team and its foot traffic rather than in hard assets — and it's common in this system for one franchisee to hold several salons across a market rather than just one. Buying or selling an existing Great Clips is a resale layered on a franchise system: the lease and the chairs matter, but so does the franchisor's consent, its right of first refusal, and whether a disclosure document is genuinely exempt or just assumed to be.
Great Clips resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
Price and terms, with conditions built in for franchisor consent, an assignable lease, and a clear read on which stylists intend to stay through the transition.
usually 1–2 weeks†Head office reviews the incoming buyer's application and can exercise its right of first refusal instead of letting the sale proceed as negotiated.
several weeks, typically†Courts read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, so a franchisor-facilitated Great Clips resale may still require a full Arthur Wishart disclosure document before you're bound.
assessed early†Getting to closing
The salon's commercial lease needs the landlord's written consent to assign, timed alongside the franchisor's own review.
2–6 weeks†The incoming owner typically completes Great Clips' management training program before the transfer is finalized.
before or shortly after closing†Funds, keys, and signed documents change hands, alongside confirmation of which stylists are staying on and whether landlord and franchisor consent are both in hand.
1 day, once conditions are met†CFA listing confirms an established Canadian franchise network; franchise.greatclips.com actively solicits Canadian franchisees.
Dozens of Ontario salons, including one of the brand's earliest Canadian franchises in Oakville.
This is the first real decision in a Great Clips resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The salon's chairs and equipment, leasehold improvements, and the benefit of the existing Great Clips franchise agreement, subject to consent. | The shares of the operating company — every salon it holds under the Great Clips banner, and everything it owes. |
| Seller's liabilities | Generally stay behind with the seller's existing corporation. | Generally come with the company, including obligations tied to any other salons it operates. |
| Franchisor consent & ROFR | Required for this specific salon, and typically the pacing condition on the whole deal. | Required for the change of control itself — the franchisor reviews who is actually taking over. |
| The lease | Needs the landlord's written consent to assign, timed alongside the franchisor's own review. | Usually stays in place unless the lease itself carries a change-of-control clause. |
| Stylist team | Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply to how staff carry over — but a salon's value depends on which stylists actually choose to stay, not just who's on the books. | Employment generally continues uninterrupted, since the employer entity doesn't change. |
| Typical use in a Great Clips resale | The default for a single salon changing hands. | More common where one operator holds several Great Clips salons under one company. |
The salon's chairs and equipment, leasehold improvements, and the benefit of the existing Great Clips franchise agreement, subject to consent.
The shares of the operating company — every salon it holds under the Great Clips banner, and everything it owes.
Generally stay behind with the seller's existing corporation.
Generally come with the company, including obligations tied to any other salons it operates.
Required for this specific salon, and typically the pacing condition on the whole deal.
Required for the change of control itself — the franchisor reviews who is actually taking over.
Needs the landlord's written consent to assign, timed alongside the franchisor's own review.
Usually stays in place unless the lease itself carries a change-of-control clause.
Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply to how staff carry over — but a salon's value depends on which stylists actually choose to stay, not just who's on the books.
Employment generally continues uninterrupted, since the employer entity doesn't change.
The default for a single salon changing hands.
More common where one operator holds several Great Clips salons under one company.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Great Clips salon changing hands between one buyer and one seller — a standard strip-plaza lease, a stylist team in place, and a straightforward franchisor consent process.
Start my file →An existing multi-salon Great Clips operator selling several locations as one company, or a resale where the franchisor's right of first refusal or a disclosure question needs to be worked through before terms are final.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
Mostly the lease and the stylist team. In a walk-in, no-appointment model, foot traffic and a salon's ability to keep its chairs staffed drive value far more than hard assets do — which is why stylist continuity gets as much attention in diligence as the numbers on the lease.
Yes, multi-salon ownership is a well-established pattern in hair-cut franchising. Buying a second location can shift the deal toward a structure that keeps both salons' agreements intact, plus a fresh look at how the franchisor's consent review treats an existing multi-unit operator.
Not automatically, no. Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply to how staff carry over on an asset sale, but whether stylists actually choose to stay is a separate question from their legal continuity — and it's usually the bigger driver of what the salon is worth after closing.
Not necessarily. Ontario courts have read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, and franchisor involvement in matching buyer to seller can still trigger a full disclosure requirement. We confirm whether it applies to your specific deal early, rather than assuming it from the word 'resale.'
Not usually on its own — stylist turnover happens with or without a change of ownership. We factor staffing risk into diligence and, where it matters to financing or valuation, build conditions around confirmed staff commitments before you close.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Great Clips or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Great Clips resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.