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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Merle Norman Cosmetics Franchise

Merle Norman Cosmetics is a family-owned cosmetics studio franchise founded in the 1920s, with its first studio opening in 1931 in Santa Monica, California. Studios offer an exclusive range of skincare, color cosmetics, and beauty products through personalized consultations, anchored by the brand’s enduring “Try Before You Buy” philosophy.

The franchise operates across the US and Canada with studio formats including regional malls, strip centers, stand-alone locations, and a store-within-a-store option for co-location within existing businesses such as salons, boutiques, or pharmacies. Merle Norman began franchising in 1973 and operates over 1,000 independently owned studio locations, with CEO Jack Nethercutt leading the family business.

The business model operates on a no-royalty, no-franchise-fee basis; franchisees purchase inventory from Merle Norman and earn revenue through retail sales and in-studio consultations. All products are manufactured at the company’s Los Angeles-area facility — the same plant established by the founder in 1952 — giving studios an exclusive offering unavailable through other retail channels. An e-commerce platform introduced in 2019 routes online orders to customers’ local studios.

Latest Resales

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Why buy a Merle Norman Cosmetics Franchise?

Customer loyalty is central to the Merle Norman model: a try-before-you-buy service approach that keeps clients returning for skincare consultations and product replenishment. The no-royalty, no-franchise-fee structure stands out in the cosmetics franchise market, and a 60% co-op advertising reimbursement gives studio owners marketing resources most independent operators would have to self-fund.

Buying a Merle Norman Cosmetics franchise via the store-within-a-store format allows owners to co-locate within a compatible existing business rather than leasing standalone space. Products are exclusive to the system, manufactured domestically, and sold only through Merle Norman studios; that exclusivity supports repeat business. The brand’s family-owned structure and nearly 95-year operating history offer stability relative to newer beauty concepts.

Merle Norman Cosmetics Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1931

    • Franchising Since

      1934

    • New Startup Cost

      $47,870 – $262,938

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $0

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      Not Disclosed

    • Royalty Fee

      Not Disclosed

    • Marketing Fee

      Not Disclosed

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      797

    • New Units Opened *

      4

    • Units Transferred *

      33

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      Not Disclosed

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Merle Norman Cosmetics – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    New owners complete online pre-training followed by a five-day program at the Los Angeles home office covering makeup artistry, skincare, and business operations. Ongoing education includes artistry videos by celebrity makeup artists, webinars, and national training events. The SOCi platform delivers five scheduled social media posts weekly; franchisees also receive ad templates, Constant Contact email tools, and 60% co-op advertising reimbursement. Support includes a franchisee intranet, proprietary software, purchasing co-ops, and field operations. Resale buyers should confirm transfer training and intranet access with the franchisor.

  2. Ideal Owner

    The ideal Merle Norman studio owner is passionate about beauty and customer service. Prior retail or cosmetics experience is not required; the franchisor trains new owners in makeup artistry and skincare consultation from the ground up. The model rewards active floor presence, local community engagement, and relationship-building with repeat clients rather than back-office management. Owners should be comfortable leading a small retail team and executing a structured promotions and marketing calendar. Absentee ownership is permitted, but studios tend to build stronger repeat client bases when owners are actively engaged.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Merle Norman Cosmetics has appeared in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 rankings across multiple years and is recognized in the cosmetics franchise sector for its longevity, exclusive product line, and no-royalty business model. The brand's over-90-year track record, domestically manufactured products, and multigenerational consumer following provide credibility in an industry where newer concepts compete on novelty rather than proven performance. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific studio's local reputation, customer reviews, and community visibility.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US beauty and personal care market generates approximately $107 billion in annual revenue (Statista, 2026), with color cosmetics and skincare among the largest segments. Demand spans broad consumer demographics, with growing interest in personalized beauty experiences and prestige products at accessible price points. Studio-based cosmetics retail benefits from the try-before-you-buy service approach, which tends to generate repeat purchases and build customer loyalty. For resale buyers, a studio's established local customer relationships and sales history are meaningful indicators of unit performance.

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