As we continue into 2023, Winmark - the Resale Company® is looking back at our successful 2022 and looking forward to another groundbreaking year ahead. Our resale franchise is gaining momentum, with 1,295 franchises in operation and an additional 57 stores have been awarded but are not open.
Family, Friendship and Franchising
At Winmark, we love to highlight our hard-working franchisees. Earlier this year, we followed the story of Rob Lavoie and Cory Edwards, life-long friends who opened a Play It Again Sports® together in Orleans, Ontario. Having started their journey with the brand as part-time employees who worked their way up, they learned the ins and outs of retail and took advantage of Winmark’s 360-degree support system to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.
Rob and Cory aren’t the only dynamic duo to open a resale franchise together. Former athletes Brian Melakian and Michael Ingersoll also teamed up to open a Play It Again Sports store in Texas to empower and inspire families in their community.
Meanwhile, others, like Grady Farmer, followed in their family’s footsteps after watching his partners open his five Once Upon a Child® and four Plato’s Closet® stores.
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New Milestones for Our Resale Franchise
One of our biggest milestones in 2022 centers around one of the most rapidly-growing consumer trends: sustainability. The rise in green consumerism is projected to continue throughout the coming years, and last year, we celebrated 1.5 billion recycled throughout our resale stores!
Meanwhile, we ended the year with franchisees Scott and Lisa Doerr opening the 500th Plato’s Closet store in Windsor, ON, furthering our mission to provide Resale for Everyone™. This also marks 3 generations of Winmark franchisees in the Doerr family. Scott’s parents opened their first Once Upon A Child back in 1999 and Scott and Lisa’s son, Terry, signed on to open his first Plato’s Closet this year.
A Year of Partnerships and Recognition
Sustainability and community impact are just two of the areas in which our partnerships focus. In addition to a first-of-its-kind partnership with Rawlings & Easton, equipment drives with the LA Kings, and a girls’ mentorship program with women’s ice hockey champion Blake Bolden to partnerships with USA Hockey and PGA professional Tom Hoge, we’re pleased to collaborate with these individuals and organizations on our mission to provide Resale for Everyone. 2022 has been an exciting year!
Winmark even achieved national recognition, with Plato’s Closet, Once Upon A Child and Play It Again Sports ranking in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 and Once Upon A Child ranking #1 in its category.
All five of our brands were recognized in the Franchise Times Top 500 in October of 2022.
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Giving Back Locally
At the heart of Winmark’s resale brands are our community values. From sponsoring local sports teams to hosting fundraisers and events, our franchisees are always finding ways to support their communities. Veteran Erich Krumrei uses his Play It Again Sports store to give back to other veterans, while franchisee Amy Gartman donates clothes from her Once Upon A Child and Plato’s Closet stores to foster children in need.
Becky Finger, a former stay-at-home mom-turned-entrepreneur, contributes to March of Dimes and Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank, while husband-and-wife duo Ann Davis and Bob Henderson support the Kelowna Hockey Association and Elizabeth Fry Society through their resale stores.
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Gearing Up for 2023
As the number of eco-conscious consumers continues to grow and a rise in prices leads to more families seeking affordable solutions, Winmark is getting ready for another big year ahead in 2023.
Are you looking for a reliable franchise opportunity in the growing resale market? Contact us today to learn more about opening a Winmark store in your area!