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.
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.”
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
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.
Check out this article from franchisingusamagazine.com to find out how Clothes Mentor is attracting two new customer groups:
NTY Franchise Company’s flagship resale brand Clothes Mentor is expanding its fashion focus, attracting two new customer groups: plus-size and millennial women. Launching the push to better serve these demographics at this year’s conference in Minneapolis, the company produced two exciting fashion shows hosted by Mall of America trend expert Sara Rogers and featuring fashion bloggers Amanda Williams (mybellamoxie.com) and Davee Ek (daveesecrets.com), both nationally recognized in the plus-size and millennial spaces.
The lively shows were both entertaining and educational, as models showcased the hottest fashion trends for plus-size and millennial women while the experts elaborated on the tastes, lifestyle, shopping preferences and more for these customers.
Building off of the runway excitement, franchisees continued to learn more about Clothes Mentor’s new plus-size and millennial customers during in-depth training sessions. Topics included digital and data-driven marketing, the personal shopper program, maximizing social media and more—all of which have helped Clothes Mentor stores speak to new and existing customers on a more personal level than any other women’s fashion resale franchise in the country.
Franchisees left this year’s Clothes Mentor conference energized and inspired to make 2016 a big year by welcoming new plus-size and millennial customers into their stores.
Click here to find out more about franchising with Clothes Mentor.
Check out this great article from thepostnewspapers.com featuring Clothes Mentor Strongsville and how the store helps local women feel amazing without breaking the bank.
Clothes Mentor: helping clients feel like a million bucks without the sticker shock
By Jaime Anton
Every girl’s dream is to find stylish clothes and accessories for a fraction of the price, and when she’s no longer in love with her outfit, be able to return it for cash on the spot.
The staff at Clothes Mentor of Strongsville has been making this dream come true daily with gently used, affordable clothing.
“We have all your better mall brands: Ann Taylor, The Limited, Lane Bryant, The North Face, Lululemon, Chicos and designer handbags like Coach, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Michael Kors, Dooney and Bourke, but our prices are roughly 70 percent off retail. Nine times out of 10, we are even more than 70 percent off,” store owner Randi Zeid said.
With prices like this, great deals are the every day at Clothes Mentor, but their Saturday before Black Friday sale, Nov. 19, sweetens them even further.
“Every single item in the store will be 30-70 percent off of what it’s already marked,” Zeid said. “Most people are shopping for their family or kids this time of year. This is great to be able to come in early, take advantage of huge savings and shop for yourself.”
So whether it’s date night, a special occasion, pieces for work or a new wardrobe for a growing baby bump, Clothes Mentor has everything for nearly every size and shape.
“From work to play in sizes 0-26, we have updated styles to fit all your needs whether you are 20 or 120,” Zeid said.
Designer fashion for less
Shopping can be euphoric, and it can be frustrating, like when fighting crowds while rushing from store to store to put together one outfit, trying to find the right fit at the right price, searching for summer clothes in the dead of winter for a Caribbean cruise.
Clothes Mentor understands and tries to make it a convenient, fun shopping experience for every customer.
The store is not seasonal, meaning it always stocks summer dresses, shirts, skirts, capris, shorts, maternity, and even athletic wear and scrubs all year.
“We have shorts on the floor year round, so you can still buy for your vacation anytime,” Zeid said.
To take the stress out of shopping, the store launched a new, free service for women who simply don’t have the time to shop, who struggle to put together a look or who simply want to be adventurous.
Customers can fill out a form online at clothesmentor.com to be part of the store’s free personal shopper program.
“After you have filled it out, we contact you to have you come in and try on outfits we have pulled for you,” Jen Gavin, the store manager, said.
“It’s a free, one-hour styling appointment,” Zeid added. “If you have trouble coordinating your own outfits or you have a special event coming up or you don’t have time to peruse our racks, you can opt in, and we’ll have things ready for you to try on when you get here.”
Hot, new items are shared regularly on their Facebook and Instagram.
“If you see something you like, we can put it aside for you,” Gavin said. “If we get a nice maternity buy, within an hour we’ll see four pregnant women walk in. Maternity clothes are expensive and you’re wearing them for such a finite time. What’s nice is when you are done with them, you can come back in and sell them back to us.”
The store does more than help customers find the perfect outfit; it also puts cash back in their wallets.
“We pay cash for your better mall brands and designer items and jewelry that are current and in style, which to us means they have been in the stores in the last one to two years,” Gavin said. “If something’s been in the closet that you aren’t using, why not get a little bit of cash for it? Bring it here first, let us take a look at it, and we will see what we can take off your hands before you donate it.”
The store has a loyalty program for customers, as well as a texting program to find out about flash sales and earn rewards.
“We have a free app for your smartphone, so you can keep track of your loyalty points and set up a free styling appointment. Our loyalty program is all computerized now, so you don’t have to worry about keeping track of a card,” Zeid said.
Women supporting women
The store also livens up the shopping experience making it a night out with various events such as a Girls Night Out in the fall and spring, offering not only 20 percent off already low prices but also refreshments, raffles and vendors to make a fun night of it.
It’s about women supporting women for Zeid and her staff.
Every October the store raises awareness about breast cancer, featuring pink clothing front and center. One day each October, the store donates 10 percent of sales to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
“Our business is for women, so we want to support women,” Zeid said.
Zeid, who opened this franchise in 2012, said this is her favorite aspect of the business.
“I would definitely say my favorite thing is the customers. We have such warm relationships with so many of our customers. They tell us their stories, they bring us nice things,” she said. “And a happy customer is so invaluable.”
Gavin agrees.
“One of the best parts is seeing how happy customers are when they find something they love,” Gavin said. “They can come here and get a beautiful outfit for a lot less.”
The store is located at 15143 Pearl Road in Strongsville. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. For more information call, 440-238-8300 or visit clothesmentor.com/strongsville/.
Hear answers to this frequently asked question from several Clothes Mentor franchisees from across the country:
Do you love fashion? Have you ever dreamed of owning your own women’s resale fashion boutique but never knew where to start?
Maybe you’ve been told by friends and family that there is no money in owning a women’s fashion resale franchise or that inventory is too expensive.
We are here to tell you that this is not the case, in fact, the exact opposite is true: There is a lot of money to be made in the women’s clothing resale space!
We interviewed several current Clothes Mentor owners to find out exactly how much money can be made in this booming industry. Watch the short video above to find out more about following your dreams and owning your own women’s clothing resale franchise.
