For over 30 years, our resale brands have been making a difference in communities across North America. From helping others to discover new passions to providing affordable solutions, bringing people together and promoting sustainability, many of our franchisees list giving back as one of their favorite parts of owning their business.
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Helping Others Discover New Passions
Throughout our stores, Winmark franchisees provide a personal touch that can’t be found at our competitors’. Our specialized customer service also gives customers confidence in their purchases.
“I know a ton of our customers by name and they know me,” said Glenn Paul, Style Encore® franchisee in Austin, TX.
For Kevin Johnson, multi-unit Music Go Round® franchisee in Ohio and Michigan, music had always been a big part of his life. He played the piano, trumpet and guitar for years before opening his resale location; he loves to help others discover their very own passion for music.
“The best part [about owning my business] is when you put an instrument — be it a violin or guitar — in the hands of a first-time player, you see their face light up and you hope that you have passed on the light that you experience each time you pick up your instrument,” he said.
Providing Opportunities for Kids and Families
Our resale stores create jobs and offer quality products at affordable prices. This provides more opportunities to all kids and families — regardless of socioeconomic status.
“I think the brand itself helps the community. We’ve talked a lot to a number of different people how it levels the playing field for some of these high school kids that typically couldn’t afford some of the nicer brand clothing,” said Ryan Simmons, who owns several Pennsylvania Once Upon A Child®, Plato’s Closet®, & Style Encore locations with his wife, Julie.
Meanwhile, Play It Again Sports® franchisees make it possible for more kids to pursue their athletic dreams. According to an online article, on average, there is a total cost difference of $2,585 between purchasing new versus quality used equipment throughout a child's sports career. Each one of our brands fulfills a need in the community that other retail stores cannot.
“Feeling the support once you get the word out that you’re there and having those customers come in and thank us for what we’re doing or the moms that come in that are shopping for their teens that say, ‘Gosh, I finally found a pair of jeans they wanted at your store because they couldn’t afford them at the mall’… it’s a reward in itself,” said Allie Spartis, a Georgia-based Plato’s Closet and Once Upon A Child franchisee.
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Creating Partnerships & Supporting Local Organizations
Community is also about teaming up with others to give back. Winmark - the Resale Company® is proud to have established system-wide partnerships with various persons and organizations like the LA Kings, their Kings Care Foundation, USA Hockey, Tom Hoge and Blake Bolden to support our ongoing mission to provide Resale to Everyone™. These partnerships not only focus on our commitment to sustainability but also on supporting local communities through activities such as hosting equipment drives and purchasing quality used sports gear.
Of course, giving back does not necessarily have to mean monetary donations. Many franchisees give back simply by bringing people together.
“I have personal relationships with countless people in the community, both coaches and teachers at schools,” said Bob Douce, Play It Again Sports franchisee in Canton, OH.
Joe and Leah Pinherio, another team of Play It Again Sports franchisees in Milton, Ontario, get involved through sponsorships.
“We do quite a bit of work within our community. We sponsor every sport that we sell,” they explained.
Some franchisees donate their time by volunteering at local functions, building even more connections with community members.
Creating a Greener Future
Finally, the nature of resale itself does wonders for our communities. We have the most sustainable model in the industry, with the majority of our supply chain remaining in each local market, and each store pays out $350,000 each year to its local community. Since 2010, our stores have recycled over 1.4 billion items, equating to 5 items every second.
As we near the opening of our 1,300th location, we’re always looking for passionate people to join us on our mission to provide Resale to Everyone™.
Contact us today to learn more about our over 2,800 open territories in North America and how to open a successful resale franchise with Winmark.
