KID TO KID FRANCHISES EXPANDING:
STORES NOW IN 16 STATES AND PORTUGAL
Salt Lake City—Kid to Kid, the
national franchise stores that specialize in buying and selling
gently used children’s products and maternity items, is looking
to grow beyond its current 56 stores in 16 states and Portugal.
According to company founder Shauna Sloan, “The Kid to Kid
franchise system is now positioned to meet its goal of having 70
stores open by the end of 2007, with system-wide stores over $20
million. We will continue to grow as we build on our strength as
a company. We were rated number one in our category this year in
Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500.”
In
the United States, there are now Kid to Kid stores in Arizona,
California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The company is also
beginning to pursue international franchises with an emphasis on
Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.“
Kid
to Kid is really changing the way that consumers think of
second-hand stores. Most of our stores are located in upscale
neighborhoods. The design of our stores is also different from
most second-hand outlets. Kid to Kid stores are bright,
attractive and organized along the lines of a Gap or other
national store. We purchase high quality products in mint
condition—including toys, clothing, car seats, strollers, high
chairs and cribs—from parents whose families have simply
outgrown these items,” Sloan said. She added that many items
that may have cost $50 new can sell for around $15 or less at
Kid to Kid.
Kid
to Kid opened its first store in Sandy, Utah in 1992, and began
franchising shortly thereafter. Sloan and her husband, Brent,
developed the original concept for Kid to Kid after living in
Ohio in the 1980s.
“During that time, the concept of recycling outgrown toys,
clothes and baby equipment started gaining popularity, and
hundreds of small independent operators opened stores across the
country. As the parents of four, we shopped at these types of
stores to clothe our children for pennies on the dollar. Then,
one of the stores began to franchise the concept, and we
actually looked at becoming a franchisee. But, upon further
investigation, we realized that while the concept was sound, the
stores were lacking some of the key elements of retail success,
and so we decided to start Kid to Kid on our own,” Shauna said.
Brent, an attorney who had over 10 years of experience managing
shopping malls around the country, initially oversaw financial
management and business development, store design, construction
and franchise system development. Shauna was involved with
buying and selling products for the first store, writing
operational manuals and creating training systems.
“With
most second-hand stores, there is a huge potential for human
error in pricing and buying product. To a large extent, Kid to
Kid franchisees avoid this problem since we have developed a
unique computerized appraisal system. This system allows our
franchisees to assess
resale values and buying prices for over 16,000 different types
of items. The program allows our store owners who are not
experts in the resale business to efficiently and profitably
purchase products for their stores,” Brent said.
He
added, “The idea of purchasing used kids’ products is foreign to
a lot of people, but if the presentation and marketing are
upscale—and if you offer a broad selection—it’s amazing how
quickly customers overcome their negative perceptions. Add
extraordinary service on top of
that, and you’ve got a company with unlimited potential."
Kid
to Kid is currently offering individual franchise and master
franchise opportunities. website: http://www.kidtokid.com
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