Winmark’s five consumer resale retail franchise brands — Once Upon A Child, Plato’s Closet, Play It Again Sports, Music Go Round, and Style Encore — do much more than provide gently used merchandise for families, musicians, and athletes. They are part of a purposefully built, circular business model designed for franchisee success.
At Winmark, a unique opportunity exists for entrepreneurs seeking to own an established, well-regarded business. Although 98.7% of franchise partners renew after 10 years, stores do change ownership — whether due to retirement, lifestyle shifts, growing families, or simply a readiness for something new.
We understand our owners’ needs and help connect potential buyers with those seeking to sell their franchise. Winmark’s facilitation of resale ownership and franchise transition ensures the right fit for the right entrepreneur.
The benefits of purchasing an existing franchise location are worth consideration:
- Invaluable, instant brand recognition of an already opened store.
- Purchasing a franchise means tapping into an established business — customer base, inventory, real estate, community connections, and more.
- “Goodwill,” the often-vague measure of business value, is directly reflected in the high degree of loyalty among our stores’ customers.
- Existing stores often carry a proven sales history and established cash flow, reducing the risk and ramp-up time associated with opening a new franchise location.
A Mission Focused on Elevating Communities
Through operational, environmental, and community sustainability, Winmark has built an industry-leading franchise development system rooted in a mission-based approach to resale retail. Beyond keeping items out of landfills, Winmark provides a proven, proprietary business model that empowers new owner-partners to invest in already-thriving locations.
Operational Sustainability Allows for Market Customization and Franchisee Success
How we run our business is core to long-term franchisee success:
- Winmark’s franchise development program ensures potential owners are a good fit for their prospective retail brand. As a mission-driven company, our owner partners share the same values we do — a deep commitment to the environment, a love of community, and a clear entrepreneurial passion.
- We ensure all our owner operators are fully trained before day one. From training on our proprietary inventory management systems to merchandising, we help ensure success.
- Our owners enjoy ongoing support from the corporate entity. In fact, that’s why the company exists – to support franchisees. One hundred percent of our stores are franchisee owned.
- Winmark values our franchisees’ input. Our technology platform was built around the very specific needs of resale retailers and is structured to grow and change with the business.
- The close relationship we have with our franchisees means we can better anticipate shifts in consumer demand and varying market conditions. This is why, for more than 30 years, we’ve been the resale retail industry leader.
Environmental Sustainability: Retail with a Purpose
Resale retail provides an opportunity for Winmark to have an outsized impact on our planet:
- Since 2010, the Winmark business model has diverted over 2 billion items from landfills by selling used clothing, sporting goods, children’s merchandise, and musical instruments.
- The clothing industry is notoriously “dirty” when it comes to supply chain and manufacturing impact. Our self-contained model helps reduce the pollution and waste caused by manufacturing and long-distance shipping.
- Today’s largest consumer groups — Millennials and Gen Z — overwhelmingly prefer brands that back sustainability with action, not just messaging. Winmark’s upcycled merchandise model directly meets the values of style-, budget-, and eco-conscious shoppers.
- Closer to home, our cash-on-the-spot policy for customers’ goods makes it easy and profitable for families to improve their immediate environment by decluttering garages and cleaning out closets.
- Our good stewardship of the environment builds trust with customers and helps franchisees build strong ties to their communities.
Community Sustainability: Stores and Brands that Stand the Test of Time
Building community builds business:
- Winmark is known in the franchise industry as an extremely stable franchisor. Our track record of success means that existing stores are neighborhood staples, not rotating retail spaces.
- Our owner partners and their teams are active in the communities where their stores are located. They are the volunteers, coaches and neighbors who make a strong social fabric. Most transitional owners are part of that very same mix.
- Because each store is locally owned, it puts money directly into the local economy. In addition to employing staff, Winmark brands put cash in the pockets of consumers when they bring in their used merchandise. This direct payment encourages repeat visits and helps sustain relationships.
- Many of our franchisee partners go on to own more than one brand location, amplifying our impact. Our stores have a ripple effect, creating local jobs, local spending, and local loyalty.
Last year, through our ownership transfer program, we kept resale retail locations open in communities across North America. Ensuring a continuation of ownership by motivated, conscientious entrepreneurs is yet another way Winmark reinforces our continued success.
The Winmark business model is created for the long haul. Our success can be attributed a carefully crafted, circular business model built on sustainability – operational, environmental, and community.
If You’d Like to Buy an Existing Winmark Franchise, Let’s Connect
Winmark takes franchise fit seriously. If you’re an entrepreneur passionate about community, sustainability, and business achievement, we want to hear from you.
Explore existing stores for sale: