Child-centric retail tenants can frequently be hot one moment and then considered “uncool” the next because the younger customer is fickle and fads for this audience are prone to change. One constant, however, is the service-oriented tenant for this age segment. Haircuts, especially, are a service that children, including tweens, will always need to get. A fairly new category in the hair cutting realm is the salon that is specifically geared to children. To date, the niche salon concept has proven it has some legs. Sitting still for the length of time required to get a proper haircut is a challenge for most young children, but these kid-focused hair salons tend to have all of the necessary “bells and whistles” to make the experience fun, whether it’s themed “car” type seats, child-appropriate videos or special prizes at the end of the experience.
These types of tenants work best in suburban communities, as well as residential neighborhoods in urban environments with a strong family element. Locations near elementary and middle schools are ideal, whether it’s a grocery-anchored center, a strip center or a lifestyle center. Preferred co-tenants are any brands that attract families such as child-based gyms, pediatric dentists, dessert eateries or kid-oriented restaurants. Co-tenants that especially appeal to mothers, such as beauty supply brands, are also favored. Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, Snip-Its Haircuts for Kids, Pigtails & Crewcuts: Haircuts for Kids and Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids are the breakout child-specific salons that are seeking new sites across the country.
The Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids franchise has a goal of opening approximately 50 new units per year over the next two years. Upcoming growth will take place in new states for the brand such as Kansas, Missouri, Utah, Virginia, Illinois and Massachusetts. Continued expansion will also occur in many of the 28 states where Sharkey’s already has a presence, especially throughout Texas, Washington, Indiana, Tennessee and Connecticut.
Ideal sites for Sharkey’s are inline or end cap units in the 850- to 1,300-s.f. range, within grocery-anchored centers, strip malls or even ground-floor spaces of mixed-use buildings in a residential urban setting. Co-tenants should include a nice mix of popular restaurants, family errand brands and child focused services; Petco, Firehouse Subs, SafeSplash Swim School and Starbucks, for example, would all be suitable. In addition to themed seats and cartoon viewing during the haircut session, Sharkey’s also provides extra services such as a tween lounge and Xbox game playing for older children, complimentary lollipops, manicures and glamour rings, parent haircuts and, at select locations, party themed events such as group birthdays with games, dancing, hairstyling/makeup or spa treatments.
The Snip-Its Haircuts for Kids franchise hopes to open about 15 to 20 new units per year over the next three years, beginning in 2024. New states for the brand that are especially being targeted for growth include Utah, Minnesota and South Carolina, in addition to continued expansion that will take place in Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. Additional markets eyed for future franchise development include all territories in Florida, Georgia, Indiana and Northern California.
Ideal spaces for Snip-Its are inline units, in the 1,200-s.f. ballpark, in higher end suburban lifestyle centers, power centers and neighborhood centers. The shopping center should have a nice mix of popular family-oriented co-tenants such as Target and Hobby Lobby, as well as eateries such as Crumbl Cookies or Jimmy John’s. Depending on the age of the customer, Snip-Its allows either video game playing or the viewing of a cartoon sing-along video featuring special Snip-Its cartoon characters, such as Snips, a talking scissors figure.
Children can choose a prize from a specially branded “magic box” after their haircut, and Snip-Its also offers group birthday parties, as well as add-ons such as spa experiences, ear piercings and elaborate hairstyles with accessories.
Pigtails & Crewcuts: Haircuts for Kids hopes to open between 10 and 15 new units per year over the next two years, with a goal of bumping that number up to between 20 and 25 new units per year, at least, by 2026. The hair salon brand has indicated future targeted areas for growth will include markets that are in the Midwest, East and South, such as Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minn., Miami, Raleigh-Durham, N.C., Des Moines, Iowa, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, Omaha and Lincoln, Neb., Ann Arbor, Mich., Nashville, Tenn., Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Kentucky should also see continued expansion, as the state got its first unit, in Bowling Green, in June. As for Western markets, the chain is currently seeking franchisees in Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah.
Preferred sites for Pigtails & Crewcuts are inline spaces in the 1,200- to 1,500-s.f. range within heavily trafficked lifestyle centers and strip malls in thriving suburban communities. Co-tenants should include food and service brands that appeal to a mid-range to more affluent child and parent consumer; examples include Mathnasium, My Gym, Chuck E. Cheese, CAVA and Pure Barre. Pigtails & Crewcuts utilizes themed car chairs, child-friendly movies during the haircut and provides an area with toy trains, coloring sheets and games. Every child receives a free goodie from a toy-filled treasure chest.
Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids had temporarily relaxed its strong expansion trajectory during COVID, but is just now revving up its franchise growth once again and hopes to open between five and 10 new units per year over the next one to two years. Look for that number to potentially rise to 20 to 30 new units per year by 2025, especially as the brand continues to reinvigorate its franchise outreach to new states. States where Cookie Cutters has a presence, yet still has room to grow considerably, include Virginia, Wisconsin, Missouri, Georgia, New York, Tennessee, Alabama and North Carolina. The brand is also hoping to sign on franchisees in the growing markets within Kentucky, Iowa, Arkansas and the Dakotas.
Just like the Snip-Its brand, Cookie Cutters also seeks inline or end cap space that is generally 1,200 s.f., preferably within suburban-based regional malls, strip malls, neighborhood centers and convenience centers. Its co-tenants should include not just brands that younger customers prefer, such as Lego Store or even Five Below, but also retailers that moms gravitate to, such as Waxing the City or Sally Beauty Supply. Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids differentiates itself from the competition by offering an in-store playground setup complete with a slide, as well as themed car seats and video games or children’s television shows during the haircut. Natural, organic hair care products are used, and every child receives a balloon and a sucker.
