As a business owner, you can’t be everything to everyone.
The issue brands encounter when they try to be a one-stop shop is that they put their brand at risk of becoming diluted. Customers with specific needs will more likely turn to the niche business because they know exactly what they’re getting. Or, more importantly, a brand that focuses on a core product for a specific demographic is in a better position to excel versus doing a mediocre job at a lot of things.
Even brands with a large range of products target specific consumer demographics they want to bring into their stores – those who will most likely be long-term, loyal customers and yield the greatest revenue on average.
While most retail brands are focused on capturing an individual subset of consumers as a loyal group of customers, Winmark’s network of franchise brands enables franchisees to be the go-to store at every stage of their lives.
Resale Apparel Brands that Fit Consumers’ Lifestyles
One of the unique qualities of the Winmark resale brands is the fact that franchisees can sell clothing and other items to customers as they grow and their styles or needs change.
Among Winmark’s apparel resale brands, Findlay, Ohio-based franchisee Amanda Overmyer knows first-hand the value Once Upon A Child®, Plato’s Closet® and Style Encore® can bring shoppers.
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“Not only did I shop for my kids at Once Upon A Child, but as they got older we would go to Plato’s Closet and Style Encore too,” Amanda said. “Owning a variety of the brands means your customers can follow the brand as they grow up.”
As many parents can attest, the lifespan of most articles of clothing when kids are growing is depressingly brief. Once Upon A Child customers are often relieved that they can find clothing, toys and accessories priced at discounts of up to 70 to 90 percent off retail prices. So, the onesies that will fit their infant for one or two months won’t cost them an arm and a leg – and better yet, customers can sell their gently used items for cash on the spot.
Similarly, when kids reach their teenage years, parents can look to Plato’s Closet for comparable discounts on clothing and accessories, along with the latest in fashion trends. And with most moms worrying about paying for college and other child-related expenses, being able to reliably find high-quality, trendy clothes for their children comes as much-needed relief.
Finally, Style Encore caters to women in their early twenties and beyond who may be looking to refresh their wardrobes without breaking the bank. Amanda’s daughter, Ashley, worked at her mother’s Plato’s Closet location, as well as at her Style Encore store in college. Ashley found the latter to be the place where she could best serve other college students and young professionals looking for the right clothes for job interviews and other employment scenarios.
As a multi-unit and multi-brand franchise owner, Amanda is among many other franchisees in the Winmark network of brands who are able to see their customers grow through different stages of their lives and remain loyal to her resale brands.
Helping Families Stay Active and Engaged at any Age
Winmark’s Play It Again Sports® and Music Go Round® brands are also resale franchise concepts that cater to customers as they progress through life.
Play It Again Sports franchisee Cameron Campbell, based in Jonesboro, Arkansas, has witnessed how much of an impact his store has on the community and how it has supported the growth of many kids.
“Baseball and softball are our biggest sports,” Cameron said. “There are a bunch of kids that are playing senior-level ball now who started out playing Little League ball, and they’re some of our most loyal customers.”
The support goes both ways, too. One of Cameron’s store managers has even gone to see one of his customers play baseball, demonstrating the commitment to community the store has.
Other Play It Again Sports franchisees have similar experiences watching kids outgrow the expensive equipment their parents bought for them after a season or two. Perfectly good football helmets, baseball gloves, ice skates and more end up sitting in the closet or garage. Parents can bring into Play It Again Sports the equipment that still has plenty of use left in it, to exchange for cash or new equipment that now fits their growing athlete.
In a similar vein, Music Go Round is a solution for many aspiring, amateur and professional musicians. The brand has grown to be the largest used musical instrument and gear retailer in the world. It offers customers a mix of roughly 80 percent used and 20 percent new instruments and gear, including guitars, drums, equipment and amplifiers.
A customer first learning to play guitar may only need an inexpensive acoustic guitar. But as they progress, they might want to trade up for a higher quality model or transition to an electric guitar. The bottom line is Music Go Round franchisees are able to get the right instruments into the hands of their customers at a more affordable price than most retailers.
How to Get Started
Are you ready to become part of a network of resale franchise brands with consistent consumer demand? Contact us today to learn more about franchising with Winmark brands.
