Winmark Brands Collectively Recycled Over 150+ Million Secondhand Items in 2018

Consumer Demand for High-Quality Resale Fuels the Brands' Continued Presence on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500

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Mar 11, 2019, 09:27 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, March 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Once Upon A Child, Plato's Closet, Play It Again Sports, Music Go Round and Style Encore, all leaders in the retail resale industry, purchased over 150+ million gently used items in 2018. Once Upon A Child took the lead by recycling over 84 million gently used children's items and Plato's Closet purchased 54 million teen and young adult secondhand clothing and accessories.

Each brand has set the bar high in terms of industry standards to become the most dependable resale choice as consumers are looking for high-quality, affordable, gently-used shopping selection. It comes as no surprise that for the fifth consecutive year, Entrepreneur Magazine named Once Upon A Child® the top children's retail franchise and Plato's Closet® the top apparel and accessories franchise in the nation. The two fast-growing resale brands geared respectively toward children and young adults ranked No. 129 and No. 187 in the publication's 2019 Franchise 500 list of the nation's top franchise opportunities and No. 1 in their corresponding categories.

Additionally, Winmark's sports equipment resale concept, Play It Again Sports®, makes the list once again at No. 381. Style Encore®, the rising star women's apparel brand, made the list for the second time, ranking No. 487. These resale franchises continue to be recognized for key performance achievements, including financial strength and stability, growth rate and size of the franchise system.

With resale growing 24 times faster than retail, Winmark Corporation, the parent company of Plato's Closet, Once Upon A Child, Play It Again Sports, Style Encore and Music Go Round®, has proven to be the top player in the $20 billion resale sector for three decades and continues to showcase its brand leadership. The company closed out 2018 with 1,241 franchises in operation under its retail brands, as well as an additional 47 franchises that have been awarded but are not yet open.

"The strength of our business model holds true, and our franchisees in each brand are dedicated to leveraging the franchise model, executing flawlessly, delivering consistency and being a reliable resource to the communities they serve," said Steve Murphy, the President of Franchising for Winmark.

Many franchisees left corporate America and their long-time careers because they were seeking a business opportunity that allowed them to make more of a difference in their communities. Every Winmark brand recycles thousands of items into local communities by reselling quality used merchandise. In fact, the majority of owners were loyal customers before joining the franchise. They understood the local recycling void the brand filled and wanted to be a part of providing more neighborhoods with affordable, quality resale shopping options.

"The consumers and franchisees both have a heart for sustainability and see that resale is doing its part to make a local impact with every purchase and sale of high-quality items that still have life to give," said Renae Gaudette, Vice President of Franchising for Winmark. "Each of our concepts is the leader in its respective niche because owners are prioritizing the community impact and want to see their stores be used for good."

Additionally, every business owner has the freedom to be as creative as they would like while supporting a variety of causes. From diaper drives, merchandise donations or partnering with local schools, churches and non-profit organizations – franchisees know their business is doing more than just earning a profit, but also helping people along the way.

About Winmark Corporation
Winmark Corporation, based in Minneapolis, MN, creates, supports and finances business. Specializing in franchising, Winmark is the franchisor of the industry-leading resale brands Plato's Closet®, Once Upon A Child®, Play It Again Sports®, Style Encore® and Music Go Round® that buy, sell and trade gently used products. Additionally, the company operates Winmark Franchise Partners®, Winmark Capital® and Wirth Business Credit®. As of December 29, 2018 there were 1,241 franchises in operation under the company's retail brands, as well as an additional 47 retail franchises that have been awarded but are not yet open. For more information visit www.winmarkcorporation.com, http://www.winmarkfranchises.com/ and http://www.winmarkfranchisepartners.com/.

SOURCE Winmark Corporation