SOCiSOCi
Mandatorymust process all credit and debit card payments at the Studio Location through MNC’s credit card processor; and (4) you must join MNC's Social Media Management service provided by SOCi, a third party
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Merle Norman Cosmetics
Retail non foodMerle Norman Cosmetics controls software purchasing from its corporate office: every Studio must run the proprietary MN POS Software Program Merle Norman designates. The system spans 797 franchised Studios, with no company-owned locations, under the direction of Jack Nethercutt.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
797
797 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-4.091%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
—
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
—
per unit
Investment range
$57K–$248K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Franchisor controlled
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
Constant ContactConstant Contact
keting Annual Fee Billed monthly This service is provided by Constant Service $336 installments of $28 to Contact, a 3rd party vendor. Studios your Studio Account. enrolled in the Constant Contact Dig
FacebookMeta
ogram unlimited access to the platform; (2) access to MNC created content; (3) 4- 5 pre-scheduled posts per week to the Studio Owner’s business page; (4) educational webinars; (5) Facebook and Instagr
InstagramMeta
ed access to the platform; (2) access to MNC created content; (3) 4- 5 pre-scheduled posts per week to the Studio Owner’s business page; (4) educational webinars; (5) Facebook and Instagram tech suppo
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
11 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 7 explicit no's; 16 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
MNC can access the POS System at all times to download and transfer data via modem or other connection as MNC determines and there is no contractual limitation on MNC’s right to do so.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We will supply you a list of recommended vendors.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
Upon 30 days’ notice to you, we may modify the MN System, including modifications to the Operations Manual, the design, layout and furnishing of Studios (including the trade dress, décor, visual merchandising props, and color schemes) and the method of payment of monies owed to us.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”) at all times and engage any vendor MNC designates to ensure the security of your data and compliance with the PCI DSS.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
Inspect and record or photograph the Studio’s operation and the facility, remove samples of any products, interview personnel and customers and inspect and copy any documents relating to the operation of the Studio.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
Upon 30 days’ notice to you, we may modify the MN System, including modifications to the Operations Manual, the design, layout and furnishing of Studios (including the trade dress, décor, visual merchandising props, and color schemes) and the method of payment of monies owed to us.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 12
MNC grants you a nonexclusive right to operate a Studio at a specified location, which must be approved by MNC in advance.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 13
You may not use the Trademarks on any Internet domain name, e-mail address or in Social Media without our prior written approval.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
In addition, you must purchase acrylic organizers from our recommended vendors and certain acrylic organizers may only be purchased from us.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
you must obtain and install in your Studio MNC’s proprietary point of sale software, MN POS Software Program.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
MNC can access the POS System at all times to download and transfer data via modem or other connection as MNC determines and there is no contractual limitation on MNC’s right to do so.
The filing answers no to 7 questions
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
- Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 11
- Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
- Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at Merle Norman Cosmetics
Merle Norman Cosmetics operates 797 Studios, all franchised. The FDD makes no financial performance representation. Franchised outlets fell 4.091% year over year, and the operator data maps roughly 762 located units across 730 mapped operators, concentrated in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana.
Who controls software purchasing
Merle Norman Cosmetics' technology decisions run through its corporate office, directed by Jack Nethercutt. Every Studio must install Merle Norman's proprietary MN POS Software Program and transmit data to the company in the form and at the times it requires; Studios must also maintain the system in good working order at their own expense and install high-speed internet or communications connections.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
SOCi provides the Social Media Management Service ($144 a year), due before a Studio participates in the Online Sales Revenue Allocation Program. The MN POS Software Program is required by name — franchisees must purchase it from Merle Norman Cosmetics and, if they financed part of the purchase, continue upgrades and support until the amount is repaid; it requires at minimum a PC using Windows 11. Franchisees must also obtain and install any other hardware, software, and network connections Merle Norman Cosmetics may specify, and process all credit and debit card payments through its credit card processor. Constant Contact is in use elsewhere in the filing; every Studio must maintain a business Facebook page, and Instagram is also named.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 runs a designated-suppliers model: franchisees must buy the initial package of MN Products, certain acrylic organizers, the digital compu stick, and the MN POS Software Program directly from Merle Norman Cosmetics. Outside those items, the filing states franchisees are not required to purchase or lease goods, services, supplies, fixtures, equipment, inventory, computer hardware, or real estate from Merle Norman Cosmetics, designated suppliers, or according to Merle Norman Cosmetics' specifications. The initial term runs 10 years; renewal requires timely notice, good standing, a Studio renovation if requested, training compliance, and a signed release.
How to read the Merle Norman Cosmetics FDD
The embedded PDF viewer below carries Merle Norman Cosmetics' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. Vendors evaluating a pitch to Merle Norman Cosmetics can talk to FranCloud for a ranked target list.
Questions vendors ask
Merle Norman Cosmetics, answered from the filing
Merle Norman Cosmetics' corporate office, run by Jack Nethercutt, designates the required point-of-sale software and other technology purchases. Vendors should approach Merle Norman Cosmetics' HQ directly.
Every Studio must purchase and install Merle Norman's own MN POS Software Program, which needs at minimum a Windows 11 PC, and maintain a business Facebook page. SOCi provides a social media service for Studios in the Online Sales Revenue Allocation Program. Constant Contact is in use elsewhere in the filing; Instagram is also named.
797 total units, all franchised, in the retail segment, concentrated in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana.
Item 8 runs a designated-suppliers model: franchisees must buy the initial package of MN Products, certain acrylic organizers, the digital compu stick, and the MN POS Software Program directly from Merle Norman Cosmetics.
The initial term runs 10 years. Renewal requires timely notice, good standing, and a Studio renovation if Merle Norman Cosmetics requests one — a natural point to raise a technology contract.
The embedded PDF viewer below carries Merle Norman Cosmetics' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document.
Source
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Merle Norman Cosmetics files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
730 operators run 762 mapped locations. 27 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit703
2–9 units27
Top states by locations
| TX | 111 |
|---|---|
| GA | 57 |
| TN | 50 |
| AL | 49 |
| LA | 34 |
Related Retail non food brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.