Ever dreamt of being your own boss and doing something you love while making a great living? Make your dream a reality with Clothes Mentor! Start exploring the Clothes Mentor franchise opportunity with this overview video. Get direct answers and real numbers from Clothes Mentor COO Chad Olson.
Selecting a franchise is a big decision. That’s why it’s important to choose one that will stand the tests of time and the economy. Here are five reasons why NTY franchises are sustainable businesses:
All five NTY franchises are resale businesses. By its very nature, resale is sustainable. Take the company’s flagship brand Clothes Mentor, for example, which started franchising in 2007 when the U.S. economy was on the verge of a recession. Within the following few years, when other retail stores were struggling, Clothes Mentor stores were thriving. The downturn created an even bigger demand for the resale niche that has continued to grow as the economy improves.
Franchisees that partner with NTY and customers that shop our stores value the reuse of quality goods. NTY stores buy products from customers for cash on-the-spot, which puts money back into the pockets of people within the community. This, in turn, helps the planet by extending the life of great clothing, shoes, furniture, toys, electronics and more and keeps those items out of landfills.
Just like they love making money by selling items to NTY Franchise stores, customers love saving money by shopping with us, too. Our point-of-sale software features a sophisticated buy matrix, which helps NTY Franchise stores price their high-quality merchandise at approximately 70% less than the original retail price. That great value and seeing new items on the floor every day keeps shoppers coming back.
Our proprietary point-of-sale system also helps stores stay on course for achieving high gross margins of approximately 60%, which translates to a faster return on investment, greater profits and the opportunity for rapid growth to multi-store businesses. The following is a snapshot of the return-on-investment numbers for franchisees with our Children’s Orchard brand.
Return on investment numbers for Children’s Orchard:
With 200 stores open across all brands, NTY has developed a strong franchise support system that starts with a highly experienced management team. In addition, we have a large and diverse network of franchisees that are easily accessible for validation during the franchising process as well as ongoing support in the form of idea sharing, franchise advisory councils (FACs), potential advertising cooperatives, comradery and more.
*$648,342 is the average net sales of the 5 stores included in the top 25% of all 21 Children’s Orchard® stores in operation for entire calendar year ended December 31, 2015. Of the 5 stores included in the average net sales for the top 25% of all stores, 2 stores (40%) met or exceeded the average net sales. There is no assurance, however, that you will do as well. See Item 19 of the Children’s Orchard® Franchise Disclosure Document dated April 26, 2016, for more information.
We love seeing how women are trying—and loving—the Clothes Mentor Personal Shopper program! Check out this awesome article from outlookoklahoma.com about how it’s gaining popularity at Clothes Mentor Edmond:
By Morgan Dan
Just a few months into its newly developed personal shopping program, Clothes Mentor in Edmond is already seeing a steady rise in women who appreciate the styling advice tailored specifically to them and ease of having a stylist do the shopping so they don’t have to.
Melanie Harris, franchise owner of the three-year-old women’s resale boutique at 3208 S. Broadway in Edmond, said customers are raving about the new, free service. It allows clients to fill out a short information sheet online, talk over the phone with a Clothes Mentor stylist about their goals and budget, and then come into the store to try on a clothing rack full of custom curated outfits suited just for them.
“It’s been amazing to see how people will try on and buy things they never would have picked up if on their own,” Harris said. “And my staff just loves it too. They love that they have a person to put the outfits together for.”
The program is gaining popularity among women who have specific needs and aren’t sure how to dress for them. For instance, Harris has helped women who want to find styles that work for shorter strides, recent weight loss and the body of a new mom.
The Clothes Mentor staff has a real knack for pulling together the perfect outfit from their floor of current, on-trend clothing not just for their customers, but for the dozens of mannequins located around the store modeling merchandise. One of the best compliments, Harris said, is for customers to buy the outfits right off the mannequins. In fact, it happens so frequently, it’s become a running joke among her staff.
“It’s a thrill for our mannequins to be stripped and bought,” she said. “In fact, just last week the mannequin outfits were bought four times in one hour.”
Clothes Mentor, with locations around the country, is no consignment shop or thrift store. Customers sell their gently used, name-brand clothing and accessories to the store, no appointment required, and walk out with cash immediately. Clothes Mentor accepts women’s clothing, no juniors sizes or styles, and accessories of any season as long as they are less than three years old, ensuring customers find contemporary styles.
“We’re here to meet the needs of all women,” Harris said. “Helping women look good while on a budget, that’s what it’s all about.”
Now that’s amazing! Check out even more jaw-dropping statistics from Clothes Mentor’s 10 years as the go-to brand for buying and selling women’s fashion:
NTY Franchise Company’s flagship brand, Clothes Mentor, was recently featured in Franchising USA in honor of its 10th anniversary. Check out some amazing figures coming out of Clothes Mentor’s success in the brand’s brief history:
Click here to view the digital article.
Thousands of franchise brands use their 10th anniversary to brag about the millions of dollars they’ve made selling goods and services in their communities. Women’s upscale resale clothing franchise Clothes Mentor can look back at their first decade and celebrate the millions of dollars they’ve paid to the people in their communities.
$180 million, to be exact.
This February, Clothes Mentor and their parent company, NTY Franchise Company, celebrate 10 years of not only offering gently-used name-brand and designer clothing, shoes and accessories for up to 70 percent off of original retail prices, but paying cash on the spot to the women who bring in their gently-used clothing, shoes and accessories. From their first franchise in Canton, Ohio, launched in 2007 to more than 150 stores nationwide today, Clothes Mentor locations can be found in 29 states and 132 cities throughout the United States.
“This has been an amazing 10 years. I am thrilled to be where we are after 10 years of growth. We would not have been able to accomplish what we have without the hard work and dedication from our franchisees and Clothes Mentor corporate staff in Minneapolis,” said Chad Olson, COO of NTY Franchise Company.
Resale pioneer abandons retirement to launch resale revolution
As a child, Ron Olson worked in the theatre his parents owned and watched the many movies that showed how the rich and famous lived. He thought maybe some day he could be rich like that. In 2000, at the age of 58, he reached that goal when he retired a multimillionaire after building GrowBiz, his empire of resale stores that included Play It Again Sports and Plato’s Closet. In retirement, Ron golfed. He dabbled in real estate. He travelled. He went crazy. He decided that retirement wasn’t for him.
“I was bored. I love work and it drives me,” he said. “I had to get back in the game.”
By 2006, The Godfather of Resale was at it again. On a visit to Columbus, Ohio, Ron’s friends Lynn and Dennis Blum, the founders of Plato’s Closet and Once Upon a Child, introduced him to their new women’s upscale resale store, Clothes Mentor. Olson saw potential. He jumped out of retirement and started NTY Franchise Company, purchasing the three Clothes Mentor locations and hiring his son, Chad, who helped him grow the brand.
“There are still plenty of open markets for Clothes Mentor across America. More and more Americans today want an alternative to thrift in their market, and Clothes Mentor provides them that with its brightly lit, clean and organized shopping environment,” Chad Olson said.
By March of 2014, Clothes Mentor had grown to more than 100 stores. The concept was a hit with franchise owners who loved being their own boss as well as cash-strapped consumers still suffering financially from the great recession of 2008 but wanting to enjoy the designer retail brands at Clothes Mentor’s resale prices.
Today, resale is a $12 billion industry with Clothes Mentor leading the charge in upscale women’s clothing. Over the last decade, they’ve sold more than 28 million units of clothing, recycled 42 million units, and created almost 6,000 local employment opportunities.
Making dreams come true
For Clothes Mentor franchisees, the business has provided more than just an income. It’s been a life-changing event. Franchisees like Mike and Melanie Harris of Edmond, Oklahoma, were able to return to their home and be with their families thanks to the opportunity provided by Clothes Mentor.
“We are thankful to have found the opportunity to own a Clothes Mentor franchise. Because of this, we moved back to our home state of Oklahoma to be near family, which encouraged more family to move here as well. We doubt this would have happened in the three years we’ve been here, without this major life change,” they said.
For others, purchasing Clothes Mentor franchises wasn’t just about being close to family, it meant working in the family business. Sisters Sadie Cherney and Alyssa Cox each own multiple Clothes Mentor locations in North and South Carolina. Their parents had owned resale stores since Sadie and Alyssa were teenagers, giving them a firsthand experience into the wonderful world of resale.
“Having the Clothes Mentor franchises has been a wonderful experience for our family to grow together in the resale industry. Opening a business is always a risk, but we felt strongly from the beginning with our parent’s past experience in resale franchises that it was a profitable opportunity. We look forward to opening more in the near future,” Alyssa said.
Sadie agrees.
“Growing up with family resale franchises provided a framework for my sister and I to appreciate recycling and value-driven shopping,” she said. “We’ve been able to build a work culture that takes great pride in our small businesses, as well as a mission to be involved in and supportive of the communities where we are located.”
Kathy and Lane Bosley own Clothes Mentor in Tyler, Texas, and are hoping their daughters can learn similar lessons by seeing their mom and dad win with their franchise store.
“We are thankful to show our children (ages 9–16) how to own a business. We’re thankful they’ll see how much hard work is required, how important good character is and what a blessing it is to work together as a family!” she said.
More to come over the next 10 years
Clothes Mentor recently launched a free personal shopper program where customers submit their sizes, style preferences and budget either by phone or online, then one of the store’s fashion experts selects outfits for the customer to try on upon arrival. The personal shopper program is currently active in 105 stores and will continue to expand in 2017.
NTY Franchise Company plans to launch 25 Clothes Mentor stores in 2017 and hopes to open around 25–30 per year over the next decade, making Olson and his team very optimistic for the future.
“The next 10 years are going to be awesome. We will be approaching 500 stores, and our franchise base and the customers we serve will have grown dramatically. The jobs our franchisees have created will have helped thousands and thousands of Americans. Only in franchising can you get this kind of trifecta.”
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal released its 2016 list of top-ranked franchisors in the metro area, and NTY Franchise Company landed at 16! Check out the full list below.
Click here to see more from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Have you done the closet cleanse? Get on board with this decluttering trend and earn some extra money, too! Find out more in this article from ctfashionmag.com, which features Clothes Mentor South Windsor:
Besides shedding pounds, local families are shedding their closets for cash – a trending New Year’s Resolution sweeping our town and the entire nation. The trend is called the Closet Cleanse – trading in all those clothes you don’t wear anymore to upscale resale stores for cash on the spot.
Consider This:
How to Take the Closet Cleanse
Upscale resale stores like Clothes Mentor, a national franchise with a store in our area, buys gently used name brand women’s clothes and accessories for cash on the spot. Transactions typically take less than 20 minutes, and most stores will donate items they aren’t able to buy to local charities that help the community.
Farnosh finds cash in her closet!
Farnosh Kamali dropped 50 pounds and was ready to say goodbye to clothes that didn’t fit any more. She didn’t want to throw out clothes that were still in good shape, so took her gently used items to the local Clothes Mentor in South Windsor, Conn. She walked in with a few armloads of clothes, and walked away with $247 in cash!
“It took about two days to go through my closet, but getting paid cash this time of year was totally worth it!” she said.
Clothes Mentor Tips for Turning Closet Clutter into Cash
With the opening of its 200th store, NTY Franchise Company continues to grow and be a leader in the upscale resale industry. Check out the great article about the company and its five innovative resale brands from the January issue of Global Business North America:
Click here to see the article inside the digital issue of Global Business North America.
Check out excerpts from a linkedin.com article below, which features several franchisees from various NTY Franchise Company brands.
By Jim Judy
The holidays are here, so what better way for me to celebrate than to hear why actual franchise owners see franchising as a wonderful gift. As a franchise consultant, I’m always happy to hear how they are thriving in their franchise business, but even I was surprised by the response I received for this story.
I’ve heard from dozens of franchisees from numerous franchise systems excited to share their thoughts on what they love about franchising.
Enjoy what they have to say, and have a wonderful holiday!
[…]
“This year we feel even more thankful than previous years. By opening our Clothes Mentor franchise we fulfilled our dream of having a family business and have the opportunity to spend more time together. Being a franchise owner has given us the opportunity to save for our retirement, and provide long term job security for our son. Our #Dream2016 has come through.” – Pieter de Smidt, Clothes Mentor of Sugarland, TX
“I’m thankful for franchising! Combining my entrepreneurship passion with best practices, systems and tools from a proven franchiser is a winning combination. 2016 was a great year!” – Bradley R. Swenson, Device Pitstop of Maple Grove
“We are thankful for a franchise with a proven track record to give us the confidence to open multiple, very successful businesses. By following the “resale-retail recipe” provided, we are not forced to build a business model from the ground up, but to utilize the wealth of knowledge our franchisor has handed to us to create our own businesses in our market and have the freedom to be creative and find ways to improve even more on operating our own individual stores.” – Shawn & Alyssa Cox, Clothes Mentor Charlotte – Midtown, NC, Charlotte – Arboretum, NC & Rock Hill, SC
“Being part of a franchise provides a broader opportunity for success, and gives an established brand to build on. I’m thankful for the partnership, resources, technology, and ongoing support from the franchise I am partnered with.” – Shasta Webber, Children’s Orchard Huntersville, NC
“Franchising give me the flexibility to make more family time. There are no clocks to punch and no supervisor to decline vacation requests.” – Brad Peterson, Device Pitstop Burnsville, MN
“After just spending 90 minutes with my franchise operations manager, I feel like I have a focused business strategy to wrap up 2016…and he planted seeds for me to start developing my 2017 business goals. I am thankful for having a built-in, business-savvy coach who wants us to succeed as much as we do.” – Chris Barnett, Clothes Mentor Springfield, PA
Check out this article from the Fort Bend Independent (fbindependent.com) featuring the new Clothes Mentor Sugar Land:
America’s first national resale chain for adult women, Clothes Mentor, opens Dec. 8th at 2581 Town Center Blvd. N in Sugar Land.
Clothes Mentor is a thriving women’s fashion chain with 18 stores in Texas and 150 open or being readied nationwide. Their first Houston store is a women’s resale experience with nothing like it close by.
Clothes Mentor offers style, sophistication and quality that help make women more beautiful. Most items originate from better specialty or department stores. Everything is like-new, clean and top quality. Clothing is organized and displayed beautifully in a fine retail environment.
“We’re a totally different form of shopping,” say store owners Pieter, Esther and Oscar de Smidt.
“We fit the style, brand and value consciousness of Houston women who love fashion and adore 70% savings. And customers selling us good-condition merchandise receive immediate cash, not a consignment form.”
Clothes Mentor helps local women replenish their wardrobes with better-brand apparel and accessories that are stylish, in good condition and at dramatic savings. They carry business, casual, smart and sophisticated apparel in sizes 0 to 26. There are tops and bottoms, jeans, dresses, career separates, coats and jackets, purses, designer handbags, shoes, jewelry, belts, scarves and other accessories. Customers find bright lights, sophisticated displays and private fitting rooms. All major credit cards are accepted.
Clothes Mentor buys good-condition clothing from neighbors and is very picky about quality. Items must be current style, freshly laundered and free of stains, fading, missing buttons or broken zippers. Clothing can be brought in any time, without appointment. If accepted, customers receive cash on the spot – not if and when the item sells (like at a consignment store).
Store owners Pieter, Esther and Oscar de Smidt offer Clothes Mentor to savvy adult women.
Early response has been outstanding with customers praising this great source of better clothing at 70% savings.
For information, call 346-309-2498 or check www.clothesmentor.com/sugar-land/.
Pieter, Esther and Oscar de Smidt own the Clothes Mentor upscale-resale fashion store in Sugar Land and may open other stores in the future. They came from The Netherlands when their daughter, Ashley, was two weeks old to live the American dream.
Pieter is a credentialed physical therapist who continues to practice here. He works in a local hospital and teaches manual therapy to other physical therapists. Esther is an interior designer and has worked as a home stager for 15 years.
Recently, they sought a business they could own and run together as a family and Esther fondly remembered the Clothes Mentor she frequented in San Antonio. The concept seemed perfect for all three including adult son, Oscar, who is the store manager. They know customer response has been impressive at other Texas and national Clothes Mentor stores and felt Houston women would respond similarly.
The de Smidt family lives in Houston and loves fitness, family time and their dog, Oreo. Their daughter Ashley is pursuing a career as a physician and loves to shop in the store.
