Franchisee Chantelle Harder took Winmark’s mission to Provide Resale for Everyone® to heart in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
She has owned a Once Upon A Child for 14 years and a Plato’s Closet for 10 years, and in late April, she opened a Style Encore.
Since Play It Again Sports was incorporated in 1988, Winmark has established a legacy of building beloved retail resale shops: Play It Again Sports sells new and quality used sports gear; Once Upon A Child sells gently used baby equipment and clothing for babies to tweens; Plato’s Closet sells gently used clothes and accessories for teens to age 25; and Winmark’s newest brand, Style Encore, sells gently used clothes and accessories for shoppers 25 and up.
“I loved the concept of Style Encore from the beginning, because it makes it truly possible for Winmark’s brands to Provide Resale for Everyone® – from birth to your 50s,” Harder says. “A few years ago, I came across an interesting store location, and I looked into the possibility of opening a Style Encore then, but the location wasn’t zoned for retail. So, I dropped it for a while.”
Meanwhile, Harder’s Plato’s Closet location outgrew its 4,000-square-foot space. When an 8,000-square-foot store opened up next door, Harder decided to relocate Plato’s Closet. “Our landlord really wanted us to stay here, however, and it sparked an idea. So, we moved Plato’s Closet into the larger space and opened Style Encore in the 4,000-square-foot space. And that’s how our Style Encore came to be,” she says.
Strong Support From Winmark & Community
Harder says Winmark’s corporate team was supportive of her decisions to expand Plato’s Closet and open a new Style Encore next door. “Their support is unmatched. They’ve been encouraging me, even when I was relocating and building out a new store at the same time,” she says, laughing. “It’s so nice to know you have the backing of your people.”
Style Encore sells both casual and business clothing that is “a little more elevated,” says Harder. “Style Encore customers range in age from about 25 to their 50s, so it is meeting the demands of a large part of the community. Adults want to save money and pass along their gently used clothing, too. Nobody wants to just throw everything in the landfill.”
Style Encore gives Harder’s former Once Upon A Child and Plato’s Closet customers a resale option after they outgrow the other brands. Harder’s location carries men’s items, also, filling another void in the local resale market.
Like other newer Style Encore stores, Harder’s store also has an e-commerce component, which she is very excited about.
“The community has been wonderful,” Harder says. “It was so hard to have people come in during the six weeks we were open to buy, and they would get so excited and wanted to shop. I had to tell them they could look around but I couldn’t actually sell anything yet. But that time allowed us to gather the inventory we needed to have a really successful grand opening.”
She adds, “I’m really excited about this new venture and thankful for the support I’ve gotten from Winmark, other owners that I’ve reached out to and my community.”
If you’re inspired to Provide Resale for Everyone®, contact us today to learn more about how you can build your own sustainable business and make a positive impact in your community.