GNC franchise
A GNC franchisee operates a store selling vitamins, minerals, nutritional supplements and related products. At the end of 2025 there were 1,960 GNC locations in the US, 643 franchised and 1,317 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
- Cost to open
- $188K–$530K
- Franchise fee
- $20,000
- Royalty
- 6%
- Locations, 2025
- 1,960−131 in 2 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- Not on the SBA Franchise Directory
From GNC HOLDINGS, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a GNC franchise costs
Opening one new store costs an estimated $187,589 to $530,342. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: GNC HOLDINGS, LLC, 2026 filing, page 46
GNC franchise fee
The franchise fee is $20,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: GNC HOLDINGS, LLC, 2026 filing, page 33
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of total gross sales, paid monthly. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: GNC HOLDINGS, LLC, 2026 filing, page 36
Sales and earnings
Shares figures GNC publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: GNC HOLDINGS, LLC, 2026 filing, page 104
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 750 (−24) | 1,555 | – |
| 2024 | 703 (−47) | 1,437 | 69 |
| 2025 | 643 (−60) | 1,317 | 76 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
GNC had the 7th-largest net loss of US locations from 2023 to 2025; see the fastest-growing franchises for the full picture.
Source: GNC HOLDINGS, LLC, 2026 filing, page 106
How GNC compares
Of the 36 retail franchises on this site, GNC is the 10th cheapest to open and the 4th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | GNC | Typical retail |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $188K | $242K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5% |
| Closed or left per year | 10% | 4.6% |
| Change in franchised locations, 2 yrs | −16.9% | +5.2% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 33 of 36 |
Typical is the median across the 36 brands in retail franchises.
