Children's Resale Franchise Brings Owners Satisfaction

In 2006, Lori Clegg and her husband, Jack, were hunting for the perfect business for her to run. Clegg was ready to leave the manufacturing plant she worked for. She’d started there 20 years before as a customer service representative and worked her way up to inside sales manager. Before that, in college, she had managed a McDonald’s restaurant. Between the two jobs, and with her husband’s support, she felt ready to own a business.

The Cleggs spent some time thinking about buying a restaurant chain franchise, but decided against it in the end. They felt the food industry was too demanding in terms of hours, and Lori Clegg said it just didn’t feel like the right fit. It wasn’t until she came across a newspaper ad for the sale of a store that things feel into place. 

The original owner had opened and run the franchise for 15 years and was ready to move on. The Cleggs purchased the store and traveled to Children’s Orchard corporate headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich., for a two-week training. Lori Clegg would run the operations and Jack Clegg, who works elsewhere full time, would do behind the scenes work, specifically “lugging inventory and accounting.”

Clegg says there are about 55 Children’s Orchard stores around the country, selling mainly resale children’s clothes for infants to teens. They also sell toys, strollers, baby monitors, high chairs, bike trailers, new gift items and other kid-related gear. Unlike consignment shops, Children’s Orchard buys everything outright from the customer, usually while the customer waits. For item totals under $50, the customer receives cash, and over that amount they receive a check. For customers who opt for store credit, they are given 30 percent more toward the dollar amount as an incentive. 

Clegg says they are very selective about what they take in, preferring brand names over generic labels. Each item that is not clothing is researched for safety recalls before purchase, and the store won’t carry any car seats or drop rail cribs. 

Marge Gerrish, who has worked at the store since the Cleggs took it over, says she enjoys the customers most of all. 

“So many different people come in. And, it’s always fun to have the kids. They enjoy the play area and it’s fun to interact with them,” she says.

Customer Natasha Combs has been shopping at the store since her first child was born a year and a half ago. Since then she’s been in every few months. 

“I come because kids grow so fast. It’s easier to find something that someone’s worn already,” she says.

Clegg is quick to say the store is a lot of work, but she enjoys it. Being part of a franchise has been a positive experience.

“Jack and I agree, we like being part of a franchise,” she says. “We like the structure. If we have a question with anything, there’s always someone we can turn to.”