Australian salon chain around for over 40 years just opened first Ontario location

An Australian hair salon chain has packed up its shears, crossed the Pacific Ocean and officially opened its first location in Ontario.

Just Cuts has announced it has finally arrived in Canada, opening its doors at Stone Road Mall in Guelph. The brand has grown tremendously over the last 40 years, opening over 250 locations not just in Australia but in New Zealand and the United Kingdom as well.

Now, it's bringing a bit of the Gold Coast to the Great White North, with ambitious plans to expand across Ontario with more salons opening in London, Hamilton and Toronto "over the coming months."

In Australia, a standard haircut costs AUD $47, or roughly CAD $46, giving you an idea of how cost-effective its services are. It's considerably less than what many mid- or high-end salons charge in larger cities like Toronto, where a basic haircut can easily cost up to $100 before taxes and tip.

The company is entering a market that already has plenty of familiar names; chains like Supercuts, Topcuts and Magicuts have operated across Ontario for years, giving Just Cuts some well-established competition as it looks to grow its Canadian footprint.

One thing the company says sets it apart is that every Just Cuts salon is locally owned and operated, with experienced and emerging hairstylists hired from the communities they serve.

Following today's opening in Guelph, Just Cuts plans to open a location at Masonville Place in London this November, followed by Lime Ridge Mall in Hamilton and the ever-evolving Dufferin Mall in Toronto in early January. Additional Ontario locations are "already under consideration."

The company also says the first 30 clients through the doors of each new salon will receive a complimentary haircut and $19 haircuts for six weeks after opening. If you've long been debating getting a bob, consider this a good omen.