Great Clips looks to stay a cut above the competition
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. » Great Clips is growing in the Capital Region with the addition of two new area salons.
Great Clips recently opened its doors at Clifton Park Center and on Hoosick Street in Troy, thanks to one entrepreneurial family.
The new Clifton Park Salon, located at 5 Clifton Country Rd. next to Jimmy’s Egg, offers services for men, women and children of all ages, with a main focus on haircuts. About 95 percent of Great Clips customers are simply coming in for a haircut, though the salon also offers styles such as blowouts and up-dos for prom.
“We are primarily a haircutting salon,” said Gaurav Nawani, who owns the business with his parents Jay and Madhu.
The family also owns two other Capital Region Great Clips locations in Glenmont and Troy.
In these businesses, “We focus on customer convenience every day at Great Clips,” Gaurav said. “We provide great haircuts and styles to our customers at a great price without customers having to wait a long time.”
The new local Great Clips is a family endeavor by the Nawanis.
When Gaurav was a teenager, Madhu wanted to get back into the workforce and opened the family’s first Great Clips salon in 2002 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
She originally discovered the franchise as a customer, and after having great experiences as a client, decided to open a Great Clips salon herself.
Over the years, the Nawani family went on to open several more Great Clips locations in that area, before their recent venture into New York’s Capital Region.
Since opening their first New York state Great Clips in December in Clifton Park, Gaurav said they’ve already made great strides.
On why the Nawanis decided to expand here, Gaurav said, ”While doing some market research I saw it was a growing area.” With a booming biomedical technology, close proximity to the state capital, and big companies the GE and GlobalFoundries in the area, “I thought Great Clips was a great fit for the Capital District,” he said.
Upon arriving, Gaurav was specifically intrigued by the Clifton Park. “When I first came and visited the Capital District to do my market research, Clifton Park was the area I first stayed in,” Gaurav said. “When driving through this particular area, I knew Great Clips would be perfect fit.”
Gaurav’s prediction was correct. “I believe the response in Clifton Park has been great,” he said, “seeing people file in especially during peak time periods shows that the community accepted the brand.”
The success of this Clifton Park salon gave the franchisees the fortunate opportunities to expand in Glenmont and Troy.
“As the dominant hair cutting salon brand in the world, Great Clips salons are located in all the top communities nationwide,” Gaurav said, noting that it has more than 4,300 locations and counting.
Gaurav’s goal for the future is simple. “With the great strides we’ve made here in the Capital District, I am very confident that Great Clips will be the #1 place to get a haircut in the Capital District,” he said.
With three area salons already established, the family business plans to
further expand in the Capital Region, Gaurav said, though no additional locations have yet been determined.
Great Clips is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Customers can download the Great Clips app from the App Store/Google Play to check-in online ahead of time so they don’t have spend a whole lot of time waiting, Gaurav said, adding that Great Clips was the first to come out with the online check-in option.
More information about Great Clips is available online at greatclips.com or by calling 518-357-3920.
Customers can also check out the Great Clips (Clifton Park, NY) Facebook page for specials and updates.