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Clothes Mentor Launches Game Changing Ecommerce Site

Clothes Mentor Launches Game Changing Ecommerce Site

Three millennial women standing in a room with clothing hanging on racks behind them. They are modeling their fashion style.

Online Lifeline – Clothes Mentor Launches Game-Changing Ecommerce Site

Clothes Mentor, the nation’s fastest-growing women’s resale clothing franchise, launched an eCommerce site in 2020 to combat decreased in-store sales due to the pandemic. It proved to be an immediate lifesaver for their franchise owners, increased new business from out-of-town online shoppers and enabled the stores to avoid employee layoffs.

The introduction of the online store has also been a hit for Clothes Mentor’s customers. Women can shop for more than 200,000 items of gently worn clothing, shoes and accessories from 82 stores nationwide, with the profits going back to the local store owner. Customers can now shop local from other company stores throughout the country on the website. People can also bring their like-new items into their nearest Clothes Mentor store to sell and receive cash or store credit on the spot.

“When our stores shut down, we had to scramble and launch our online website to keep our franchisees profitable and answer this growing demand for secondhand fashion,” says Chad Olson, COO of Clothes Mentor. “Our new website is a win-win for women looking for high quality, gently worn clothes at a great price. Resale is here to stay and now it’s more accessible than ever with our online site that updates fashion daily.”

The online store continued a trend in which the resale fashion market is growing 25 times faster than the overall retail market. It not only gave franchisees a much-needed lifeline, but it came at a perfect time when more people were avoiding stores and shopping online during the pandemic.

– Franchising USA Magazine, Vol 9, Issue 4, March 2021

Headshot of Ashley

Ashley Huebner

Director of Marketing

Ashley Huebner oversees Clothes Mentor’s marketing and advertising efforts to drive sales and build brand awareness. She also leads creative initiatives, driving the brand’s vision in aesthetics, tone, and trends to elevate our position as a leader in the resale category.

Ashley joined the Clothes Mentor team in March 2015. She has 10+ years of Graphic Design experience, a strong background in design and user experience, and a passion for creativity. She holds a BA degree in Advertising and Art.

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Michelle Vaudrin

Senior Director of Operations

Michelle Vaudrin is the Senior Director of Operations for Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. Prior to joining NTY Franchise Company in March 2016, she worked in leadership roles for Burlington, American Eagle, and Macy’s. Michelle attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in Retail Merchandising and Business Administration. She brings extensive background in training of strategies, merchandising, customer service and multi-unit store operations to the team.

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Jenny Mann

Vice President of Operations | Executive Director of IT

Jenny Mann is the Vice President of Operations for Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. In January of 2020, Jenny also took on the role of Executive Director of IT, overseeing BST, our Point of Sale system, and the e-commerce platforms for both brands. Prior to this, Jenny was the Director of Marketing for NTY Franchise Company since January 2013. Jenny started with the NTY Franchise Company in 2008 with Clothes Mentor and has held many roles, including; Store Manager, New Store Opener, and Regional Operations Manager. Before joining NTY Franchise Company, Jenny worked for Old Navy (Gap, Inc.) and Target in management roles.

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Jarvis Herndon

Franchise Business Consultant

Jarvis Herndon is a Franchise Business Consultant for both Clothes Mentor and Device Pitstop. Jarvis has a strong background in retail management, leadership, and a history of operational success within a franchising system. He is passionate about assisting small business owners in developing their path to success while maximizing their businesses’ potential. Jarvis brings a great mix of skills and experience to the NTY Franchise Company.

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Sarah Primmer

VP of Finance & Human Resources

Sarah Primmer is the Vice President of Finance and Human Resources for NTY Franchise Company. She joined the company in January 2014. Prior to joining NTY, Sarah spent over 25 years as the controller and business manager of a local sales and marketing firm calling on Target stores.

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Chad Olson

Chief Operations Officer

Chad Olson has been Chief Operations Officer of NTY Franchise Company since January 2007. From May 1994 to December 2006, he held various positions for Winmark Corporation (f/k/a Grow Biz International, Inc.), including Field Operations Manager for the Once Upon a Child concept from 1999 to 2002, and Regional Operations Manager for the Plato’s Closet concept from 2002 to 2006.

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Dan Goetz

Franchise Business Consultant

Dan Goetz is the Franchise Business Consultant for Clothes Mentor in the West Region. Previous to joining the Clothes Mentor Corporate staff in February of 2014, he worked in leadership positions with Aèropostale, Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Target stores. He attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State University. He brings a strong background in Operations, Merchandising, and Human Resources to the Clothes Mentor team.

Kaitlynn McShane

Graphic Designer + Marketing Coordinator

Graphic Designer + Marketing Coordinator

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Ashlyn Aarness

Social Media Specialist

Social Media Specialist
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Gina Geary

Franchise Business Consultant

Franchise Business Consultant

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Alice Heidenreich

Franchise Business Consultant

Franchise Business Consultant

Susan Praus

Training Manager

Training Manager

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Michael D. Smith

Vice President of Strategic Planning

Michael D. Smith is the Vice President of Strategic Planning. From December 2000 to July 2010, Michael held the position of Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the franchise company Laptop Xchange. From June 1994 to December 2000, Michael held numerous roles within the Grow Biz International brands of Play It Again Sports and Computer Renaissance. These roles included Corporate Store Management, Field Operation Specialist, and Franchisee.