With a shift in consumer habits, a global push toward sustainability and our recession-resistant business model, there has never been a better time to open a resale franchise business. In 2021, there is consistent consumer demand for affordable, high-quality used apparel, sports equipment, music gear and more.
Our five resale brands, Once Upon A Child®, Plato's Closet®, Style Encore®, Play It Again Sports® and Music Go Round® fill a critical gap that many consumers face when trying to find products they want and need — on one hand, unattainable high retail prices and on the other, inexpensive, low quality products. Our brands deliver a polished retail format that offers carefully selected high-quality used items at great value that fills that gap.
Multi-Unit Ownership: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Many franchisors are shifting from single-unit ownership to multi-unit ownership. Today, 53 percent of all franchisees own multiple units. While Winmark believes in the success of one location at a time, our franchise model creates a path to multi-unit ownership, which is why over 97% of our franchisees have renewed their agreements with us over the last ten years and almost 60% have opened multiple locations across all of our brands.
With multi-unit ownership, franchisees can expand their reach within their communities, scale operations and increase their profitability. Aside from the projected return on investment, owning multiple franchise businesses is beneficial because of the economies of scale, diversified risk and multiple revenue streams, among other advantages.
A Recession-Resistant Franchise
With over 30 years of established success, our brands continue to thrive, even amidst the 2007 – 2008 recession and a global pandemic.
Our resale retail brands aren't as susceptible to the rise and fall of the economy as traditional retail stores because we benefit from offering in-demand products and quality used items at an affordable price. When consumers need to make their dollars count for more, our resale stores fit perfectly into their shopping habits.
Not only are they able to find quality used items at highly discounted prices, but consumers can sell their own clothing, sporting goods, music equipment and more for cash on the spot.
A Franchise In-Line with Consumer Trends
It’s no secret resale brands are taking the lead in the retail space with the global push toward sustainability and the fast fashion industry's downfall.
Many consumers are making conscious efforts to change their spending habits to reflect a sustainable and ethical lifestyle. This shift has caused a resale boom, making a positive environmental impact as consumers reexamine where and how they buy their products.
Our buy, sell, repeat business model fits into that circular economy even better because our stores buy quality used inventory directly from customers in their local community achieving environmentally sustainable practices.
Last year, our five resale brands purchased a cumulative total of over 141 million units of clothing, toys, books, musical instruments and sports equipment, which has allowed us to reduce landfills and bring consumers quality used products that fit within their budget.
Ongoing Franchisee Support
Our franchise owners continue to succeed because they have the support of a franchisor behind them. Thanks to our 100% franchise model, we don’t develop and maintain corporate stores. Instead, our franchisees take the reins of each location in a meaningful way, and our time, resources and money go directly into supporting them — not a corporate entity.
Our robust infrastructure is aimed at growing and expanding our brands. At Winmark, the Resale Company™, we provide our franchisees with guidance for business planning, retail site selection, store set-up, computer training, advertising and marketing and store operations. We also offer continual support and ongoing training provided by Field Operations Managers online via the extranet and at annual franchise conferences and regional meetings.
Are you interested in expanding your portfolio with additional resale franchises? Get started by downloading one of our franchise reports here.