By Edward Logan, Sport Clips Haircuts

Larger successful franchises such as Sport Clips Haircuts thrive when we lean into innovation and client experience.

Elevating how the consumer experiences and perceives us is fundamental to how we differentiate and grow the Sport Clips brand.

Recent survey results told us something important: our signature MVP Experience, which features a hot steamed towel infused with tea tree oil, massaging shampoo, neck and shoulder treatment, and precision haircut, did not have the consumer awareness it deserves. As a brand built on delivering more than a haircut — on making it a moment — this got our attention. If our clients don’t recall the experience, how can we build loyalty? So, we set out to innovate that service to enhance it further and increase awareness.

One of the most compelling pieces of our strategy emerged when we investigated the sense of smell as it relates to recall. Research from trusted sources tell us that olfactory signals go directly to the brain’s emotion and memory centers, meaning that individuals, particularly men, remember smells more vividly than other sensory inputs. That insight drove us to think differently. What if the haircut experience didn’t just feel distinctive, it smelled distinctive too?

Armed with that information, our team devised a program to test scents men connected to most strongly, then layering that with naming and brand-equity work to make each scent a touchpoint. We determined which fragrances resonated with our predominately male clientele, how the names feel at first encounter, and which ones build brand equity and demand. We then approached naming with similar methodology, and the result was a scent portfolio that reinforces our MVP Experience in a way only we do…through sports.

Our tea tree oil infused steamed towels combined with the scents of eucalyptus, lavender, chamomile remain a client favorite and are still core to our steamed towel treatment. But we’re now offering seasonal “Playmaker” scents with sports themes. In June 2025 we introduced Rawlings® New Leather Glove, a premier partnership with the legendary maker of baseball gloves and equipment, as well as Early Morning Practice Air, and Stadium Buttered Popcorn. The holiday season brings with it the scents of Cold Mint Plunge, Tailgate Huddle, and Halftime Chill. Another round of Playmaker scents is scheduled for spring 2026.

To further elevate the client experience, we’re rolling out upgraded barber chairs system-wide that are custom-designed with brand colors red and black fused into a cushioned, barber-style chair with ergonomic footstool and headrest. These new chairs have already been adopted by almost half of the system, offering clients ultimate comfort and stylists the elevated equipment they need. We expect full adoption by end of 2026.

Comfortable, high-end chairs contribute to a client’s physical comfort and enhance the brand image overall. When you enter a store it’s a visual cue that we’ve invested in being more than just a haircut. They allow our stylists to cover cutting angles with efficiency, reduce fatigue, and deliver better results. I’ve often said that culture, values, and operational excellence are critical to our success, and this extends to the physical environment.

These investments don’t stand alone. They support our operational strengths.

  • We continue to enhance our extensive suite of support services for franchisees and stylists in franchise locations. Sport Clips believes in the value of boots on the ground and in-person continuing education, and we deliver it through one of the largest field support teams in franchising.
  • We’ve also instituted a 24/7 free counseling platform for everything from mental health services to financial and childcare guidance.
  • Our THNKS recognition platform allows franchise owners and managers to show appreciation for team members.
  • The Sport Clips team member crisis fund, the McGlone-Gozur Relief Fund, has now contributed more than $6.5 million in grants awarded to team members facing emergent financial situations.
  • Our veteran-founded brand is proud to have launched and grown the VFW’s Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship program into the largest of its kind, with more than $15 million donated to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Foundation to support veterans’ transition into civilian careers and help them grow and thrive long after.
  • And our Haircuts with Heart philanthropic reach continues with incredible organizations such as Dream Flights, American Red Cross, and St. Baldrick’s Foundation. For the first time this year, Sport Clips expanded its support to honor first responders by serving as an official sponsor of the World Police and Fire Games and offering hundreds of free haircuts to participants from the U.S. and around the globe.

At Sport Clips, we continue to innovate while sticking to what made us who we are. We were founded on a core set of “Heart Of A Champion” Core Values; Do What’s Right, Do Your Best, and Treat Others the Way They Want to Be Treated. Leaning into our roots and company culture empowers us to add to the positives that keep Sport Clips growing. From the moment you sit in a premium chair to the sensory-jogging aroma of a steamed towel and the supportive culture behind it all, every piece connects. Our survey told us the MVP Experience lacked recognition. So instead of just tweaking it, we re-imagined it as a brand building moment.

As a second-generation leader of a family-founded brand, I believe passionately in culture, values, and high performance. I often say to our leadership team that we must find our “lead domino,” the one movement that sets the others in motion. Enhancing environment, sensory cues, and service delivery was one such domino. Multiply that across hundreds of locations, and the effect is exponential.

We continue to invest heavily in long-term success because we believe this brand can be more than a transaction; it can be a ritual, a habit, a moment in a client’s life. If we get everything right, the chair, the scent, the service, the culture, then our Team Leaders (franchisees), stylists, and of course clients, all win.

Edward Logan is the CEO and president of Sport Clips Haircuts. For more information about IFA franchisor member Sport Clips Haircuts, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/sport-clips-inc/.

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