Sport Clips Haircuts On Pace for Significant Unit Expansion By End of 2026
Sport Clips Haircuts is six months into a deliberate franchise growth plan, and the signings, openings and market data tell the story of a brand executing against its own playbook.
GEORGETOWN, Texas, July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Six months into 2026, Sport Clips Haircuts is building momentum across its franchise system, posting stronger development activity than the brand saw at the same point last year and positioning itself for net positive unit growth.
Fueled by a combination of new Team Leaders, expansion by existing owners, and renewed consumer demand, the nearly 1,800-unit men's and boys' haircare franchise is on pace to open a significant number of new units by year-end. Leadership says the progress reflects years of strategic investments made after the pandemic to strengthen Team Leader support, improve technology and position the system for long-term expansion.
"We are certainly headed in the right direction," said Brent Greenwood, vice president of franchise development for Sport Clips. "We opened more stores so far than we did all of last year. There's just a lot of great momentum with both new and existing Team Leaders. It's been a nice mix of both."
Sport Clips is actively targeting significant growth in its Team Leader base throughout 2026, with opportunities spanning both new development and acquisitions.
"We are on pace for a strong year of unit growth, and the momentum is incredibly positive across the board," Greenwood said. "We are really open to entry points in every market across the country. We wouldn't turn away a good team leader prospect anywhere."
That flexibility is supported by a long-term optimization strategy that identifies development opportunities across existing and emerging markets. As competitors have exited certain trade areas in recent years, Sport Clips has gained access to real estate opportunities that were previously unavailable.
"There are now holes in the market due to competitors closing," Greenwood said in a recent interview. "It opens a lot of opportunities from a real estate standpoint in areas we never had access to. It reset the real estate market in our industry. The strongest players end up capitalizing on these opportunities, and that is where we are today."
The brand's confidence in expansion is also being fueled by improving business fundamentals. Greenwood says Sport Clips has now returned to pre-pandemic demand levels, giving Team Leaders stronger unit economics and increasing confidence among both current and prospective owners.
Rather than chasing short-term development numbers, Sport Clips says its current momentum reflects years of intentional planning. Leadership continues to see opportunity across virtually every region of the country, supported by a manager-led operating model, recurring customer demand and technology investments that differentiate the brand from competitors.
"We've been successful for more than 30 years," Greenwood said previously. "But we still have a lot of runway left."
As the second half of 2026 begins, Sport Clips remains focused on executing the same disciplined growth strategy that has defined the first six months of the year: supporting Team Leaders, opening new stores, and steadily building toward sustained net-positive growth.
About Sport Clips Haircuts
Sport Clips Haircuts is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas. It was established in 1993 and began franchising in 1995. The sports-themed haircutting franchise, which specializes in haircuts for men and boys, offers online check in for clients, and consistently ranks in the Entrepreneur "Franchise 500" and Top Franchises by Franchise Business Review. There are almost 1,800 Sport Clips stores open in the U.S. and Canada. Sport Clips is the "Official Haircutter" of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), offers veterans preferential pricing on haircuts and franchises, and has been named a Top Franchise for Veterans by Entrepreneur. Sport Clips provides "Haircuts with Heart" through its annual Help A Hero fundraiser that has contributed $16 million to the VFW; national partnership with St. Baldrick's Foundation, the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants; and other national and local philanthropic outreach Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of NASCAR's Joe Gibbs Racing team, Minor League Baseball (MiLB), and partners with local sports teams and organizations. For franchise opportunities, visit sportclipsfranchise.com.
Media Contact:
Chad Cohen
786-417-5769
SOURCE Sport Clips
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