Regis
A United States-based operator and franchisor of value, family, men's, and full-service hair salons.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Regis Corporation is an American hair-salon operator and franchisor headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its business is built around a portfolio of salon concepts serving value-conscious customers, families, men, and customers seeking more traditional full-service salon experiences. The company's principal trade names have included Supercuts, SmartStyle, Cost Cutters, First Choice Haircutters, Holiday Hair, Regis Salons, MasterCuts, Pro-Cuts, Famous Hair, and Roosters Men's Grooming Center. The company traces its history to 1922, when Paul and Florence Kunin established Kunin Beauty Salon. Their son Myron Kunin acquired the business in 1958, renamed it Regis, and shifted the company's salons from department-store locations toward shopping malls. That change helped Regis develop a large, standardized salon network in the United States. During the 1980s, the company broadened its value-oriented offering, introducing Pro-Cuts in 1982 for men and families and expanding to hundreds of locations across middle America. Regis became a public company in 1991 and pursued an acquisition-led expansion strategy through the 1990s and early 2000s. Important transactions included the acquisition of salons associated with Trade Secret, Supercuts, The Barbers, Cost Cutters, Family Hair Care, City Looks Salons International, We Care Hair, Jean Louis David, BoRics, Holiday Hair, Vidal Sassoon, and other regional operators. These deals gave Regis exposure to shopping malls, strip centers, street locations, mass-retail environments, international franchise networks, and professional beauty education. By the mid-2000s, the company had become one of the largest salon groups in the world by location count. Regis later moved from rapid corporate expansion toward restructuring and franchising. It divested or separated several non-core businesses, including Trade Secret, Hair Club, its interest in the Provalliance Group, and Empire Education Group. The company also faced declining sales, changing consumer shopping patterns, pressure on mall-based salons, and the operational effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the late 2010s and early 2020s, Regis converted many company-owned salons to franchise ownership and reduced the number of brands it intended to emphasize. The company's network has consequently become much more franchise-oriented than its historical portfolio. A reference point from August 2021 described 5,563 franchised salons and 276 company-owned salons. The principal brands identified in company and reference materials have included Supercuts, SmartStyle, Cost Cutters, First Choice Haircutters, Holiday Hair, and Roosters, although brand ownership, franchise relationships, and operating status have changed over time. In December 2024, Regis acquired Alline Salon Group, a major franchisee, bringing 314 Supercuts, Cost Cutters, and Holiday Hair salons in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania under direct company control. Regis remains focused on operating, franchising, and supporting branded hair-salon businesses rather than on beauty-product distribution or unrelated retail categories.
History
Regis Corporation began in 1922 as Kunin Beauty Salon, founded by Paul and Florence Kunin. In 1958, their son Myron Kunin acquired the business, renamed it Regis, and repositioned its locations from department stores toward shopping malls. This shift supported a more standardized, multi-location salon model and helped the company build a substantial presence in middle-America shopping centers. In 1982, Regis introduced Pro-Cuts, a lower-priced salon concept directed at men and families. By the middle of the 1980s, the company had approximately 500 mall salons, and its reported annual sales reached $150 million in 1987. Regis became publicly traded in 1991 and opened a headquarters in Edina, Minnesota, in 1992. Its expansion accelerated through acquisitions, including 88 salons purchased from Trade Secret Development Corporation in 1993. The company expanded both its premium and value-oriented concepts during the 1990s. In 1996, Regis announced an intended stock-based acquisition of Supercuts, bringing the company into more strip-center and street locations. The combination was completed in the following period, while Supercuts' United Kingdom operations remained separate until a later merger. In 1999, Regis acquired The Barbers, Hairstyling for Men & Women, gaining thousands of salons and additional brands and locations, including Cost Cutters salons operating in Walmart stores. Other acquired businesses included Family Hair Care, City Looks Salons International, and We Care Hair. Regis continued international and domestic expansion in the early 2000s. It acquired Jean Louis David in 2002, along with BoRics salons, regional salon groups, and Vidal Sassoon salons and beauty academies. The company also assumed licensing arrangements connected with the Vidal Sassoon name in several markets. Holiday Hair joined the portfolio in 2004, and Hair Club for Men and Women was acquired in 2005. In 2006, Regis attempted to acquire Sally Beauty from Alberto-Culver, but the agreement was terminated. By the end of that year, Regis reported a network of more than 11,000 company-owned and franchised salons, beauty schools, and Hair Club offices. In 2007 and 2008, the company combined its continental European franchise operations with Franck Provost's salon group to create Provalliance, in which Regis initially retained a minority interest. Regis also acquired PureBeauty and BeautyFirst operations during this period. The company subsequently began simplifying its portfolio. It spun off Trade Secret in 2010, divested its Provalliance interest during the European debt crisis, sold Hair Club to Aderans in 2012, and acquired Roosters Men's Grooming Center. Regis also faced a prolonged sales decline and pressure from changing retail patterns, particularly in enclosed malls. In 2012, activist investor Starboard Value obtained board representation and pushed for leadership changes before exiting its investment in 2013. During the second half of the 2010s, Regis increasingly emphasized franchising. In 2017, it sold a large group of mall-based salon assets to The Beautiful Group, including North American Regis Salons and MasterCuts locations and selected United Kingdom assets. The company announced a headquarters move to Minneapolis in 2018 and closed hundreds of SmartStyle salons. In 2019, it sold or transferred numerous salon groups and announced a plan to concentrate on a smaller set of principal brands, including Supercuts, SmartStyle, Cost Cutters, First Choice Haircutters, and Roosters. It also transferred thousands of company-owned salons to franchisees and later terminated franchise arrangements with The Beautiful Group. Regis sold its interest in Empire Education Group in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic then disrupted salon operations while the company was transitioning toward a predominantly franchise-based model. By 2022, the business was still dealing with weak performance and potential exchange-listing concerns, but it also exited product distribution and sold the OpenSalon Pro salon-technology platform. The company later returned to direct ownership of a significant franchisee network through its December 2024 acquisition of Alline Salon Group, adding 314 salons in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Regis therefore combines the legacy of a large corporate salon operator with a contemporary model centered on franchising, brand management, and selective ownership of salon networks.
- 2024
Alline Salon Group is acquired
[1]Regis acquires its major franchisee Alline Salon Group and brings 314 salons under direct control.
- 2020
Empire Education Group interest is sold
[1]Regis exits its investment in Empire Education Group while focusing more narrowly on salon operations.
- 2019
Regis accelerates franchise conversion
[1]The company sells or transfers thousands of company-owned salons and announces a smaller group of priority brands.
- 2017
Mall-based salon assets are sold
[1]Regis transfers much of its mall-based salon portfolio to The Beautiful Group.
- 2012
Regis sells Hair Club and acquires Roosters
[1]The company sells Hair Club to Aderans and adds Roosters Men's Grooming Center to its franchise portfolio.
- 2010
Trade Secret is spun off
[1]Regis separates its mall-based hair-care-supply retail business as part of a broader portfolio review.
- 2008
Provalliance is formed
[1]Regis combines its continental European franchise operations with the Franck Provost Salon Group and retains a minority interest.
- 2005
Hair Club joins Regis
[1]Regis acquires Hair Club for Men and Women, extending beyond conventional haircut and styling salons.
- 2002
Major international and domestic acquisitions
[1]Regis acquires Jean Louis David, BoRics locations, regional salons, and Vidal Sassoon salons and academies.
- 1999
Regis acquires The Barbers
[1]The acquisition adds thousands of salons and strengthens Regis's Cost Cutters and other regional salon operations.
Products and positioning
A large-scale, accessible hair-salon platform combining recognizable consumer brands with company-owned and franchise-operated locations.
Value hair salons · 1996
Supercuts
Supercuts is one of Regis's best-known haircut brands. It is positioned around convenient, standardized, relatively accessible haircuts and styling services, typically in neighborhood, strip-center, and other high-traffic locations. The brand has historically operated through a mixture of company-owned and franchised salons.
Mass-retail hair salons
SmartStyle
SmartStyle is a salon concept associated with mass-retail locations, particularly Walmart stores. It offers accessible haircutting, styling, coloring, and related services designed for customers combining salon visits with routine shopping. Regis reduced the size of the SmartStyle network during its restructuring.
Value and family hair salons
Cost Cutters
Cost Cutters is a value-oriented salon brand serving adults, families, and children. It became part of the Regis portfolio through the company's acquisition activity in the 1990s and has operated in both independent retail settings and mass-retail environments.
Value hair salons
First Choice Haircutters
First Choice Haircutters is a value-focused salon concept associated particularly with the Canadian market, while also appearing in Regis's broader North American brand portfolio. Its offer centers on routine haircuts and basic styling at accessible prices.
Family hair salons · 2004
Holiday Hair
Holiday Hair is a regional family salon brand that became part of Regis through the 2004 acquisition of salons based in Pennsylvania. It provides haircutting, styling, and related beauty services through locations that have operated under both corporate and franchise arrangements.
Men's grooming · 2012
Roosters Men's Grooming Center
Roosters Men's Grooming Center is a men's grooming franchise concept acquired by Regis in 2012. Its positioning is more specifically focused on men's haircuts, grooming, and barber-inspired services than Regis's general family haircut brands.
Full-service hair salons
Regis Salons
Regis Salons represents the company's namesake full-service salon concept. Historically, the brand occupied a more upscale position than the company's value haircut formats and was especially visible in shopping malls and other established retail centers.
Mall and family hair salons
MasterCuts
MasterCuts is a family-oriented salon brand historically associated with shopping malls and other retail centers. Regis operated the brand for many years before selling a substantial portion of its mall-based assets and related intellectual property to The Beautiful Group in 2017.
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Pro-Cuts sports-themed repositioning
United States
Regis announced plans to redevelop Pro-Cuts as a sports-themed men's salon concept intended to compete with Sports Clips and similar specialized operators.
Outcome. The concept was largely abandoned by 2015.
Brand decisions
2024
Acquire Alline Salon GroupM&ABackground
Alline Salon Group was one of Regis's largest franchisees and operated hundreds of salons under Regis-associated brands.
Action taken
Regis acquired Alline Salon Group and assumed direct control of 314 Supercuts, Cost Cutters, and Holiday Hair salons.
Aftermath
The transaction increased Regis's directly controlled salon base after years of emphasizing franchise conversion.
Announced acquisition price. (December 2024)
2019
Accelerate conversion to franchisingStrategyBackground
Regis had experienced a prolonged sales decline and was seeking a less capital-intensive operating model.
Action taken
The company sold or transferred thousands of company-owned salons to franchisees and announced plans to concentrate on five principal brands.
Aftermath
The business became substantially more franchise-oriented, although later acquisitions brought some salons back under direct control.
2017
Sell major mall-based salon assetsStrategyBackground
Regis was under pressure from declining mall traffic and sought to reduce direct ownership of mall-based salons.
Action taken
The company sold much of its mall-based salon portfolio to The Beautiful Group, including North American Regis Salons and MasterCuts locations and selected United Kingdom assets.
Aftermath
Many locations continued under familiar brand names as franchises or under new ownership arrangements.
2010
Separate Trade SecretStrategyBackground
Regis was reviewing its portfolio and moving away from non-core mall-based hair-care retail.
Action taken
The company spun off Trade Secret, its hair-care-supply retail business.
Aftermath
Trade Secret later closed locations and entered Chapter 11 proceedings before all stores were closed.
2006
Attempt to acquire Sally BeautyM&ABackground
Regis pursued a large expansion into beauty-product retail and distribution.
Action taken
Regis announced an agreement to acquire Sally Beauty from Alberto-Culver.
Aftermath
Alberto-Culver terminated the agreement in April 2006, so Regis did not complete the acquisition.
Announced transaction value. (2006)
1996
Acquire SupercutsM&ABackground
Regis sought to expand beyond mall locations into strip centers and street-based salon sites.
Action taken
The company announced a stock-swap transaction to acquire Supercuts.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Regis's geographic and location-format reach and became a foundation of its later brand portfolio.
Recent events
- 2024
Regis announces acquisition of Alline Salon Group[1]
M&A
Regis acquired Alline Salon Group, a major franchisee, adding 314 Supercuts, Cost Cutters, and Holiday Hair salons in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to its directly controlled operations.
- 2020
Regis sells its interest in Empire Education Group[1]
M&A
Regis sold its interest in Empire Education Group back to the education company, continuing its retreat from businesses outside its core salon operations.
- 2019
Regis restructures its salon portfolio around a smaller group of brands[1]
M&A
Regis announced a plan to reduce its approximately 50-brand portfolio to five principal concepts and sold or transferred thousands of company-owned salons to franchisees.
- 2019
Regis ends franchise agreements with The Beautiful Group[1]
Other
Regis terminated its franchise agreements with The Beautiful Group and took back approximately 200 salons while evaluating new ownership arrangements for the affected locations.
- 2019
Regis sells California Supercuts salons to Moxie Management Group[1]
M&A
Regis announced the sale of 96 California-based Supercuts salons to Moxie Management Group.
- 2017
Regis sells major mall-based salon assets to The Beautiful Group[1]
M&A
Regis sold much of its mall-based salon portfolio to The Beautiful Group, including hundreds of Regis Salons and MasterCuts locations in North America and additional Regis and Supercuts salons in the United Kingdom.
- 2012
Starboard Value takes an activist position in Regis[1]
Leadership change
The investment firm Starboard Value invested in Regis, obtained three board seats, and pressed for changes in company leadership before selling its shares in 2013.
- 2012
Regis divests Hair Club to Aderans[1]
M&A
Regis sold Hair Club for Men and Women to Japanese wigmaker Aderans as part of its portfolio rationalization.
- 2012
Regis acquires Roosters Men's Grooming Center[1]
M&A
Regis acquired the Roosters Men's Grooming Center franchise, which at the time had 35 franchised salons in 15 states.
- 2010
Regis abandons much of its Trade Secret retail concept[1]
Bankruptcy
Regis spun off Trade Secret, a mall-based hair-care-supply retailer. The business later closed locations and entered Chapter 11 proceedings before all stores were closed.
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