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RECENT INTERVIEW WITH Russell Frith
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View More Children's Orchard Franchise Information
 Taylor Bond
Chief Executive Officer
Children's Orchard
Children's Orchard Blooms Under Leadership of New President & CEO
Children's Orchard, a boutique environment offering gently used and new name-brand children's clothing, toys, furniture and accessories, is making retail history, merging two supposedly incompatible concepts into one new, highly successful niche category: "upscale resale." Under the leadership of new President and CEO Taylor Bond, who brings with him a strong background in franchising and resale, Children's Orchard, with nearly 100 thriving locations in 23 states, is selling 5 million items to approximately 1 million customers each year.
Since assuming his position with Children's Orchard in January 2004, Bond, whose previous experiences in franchising include high-level positions at Domino's Pizza and Computer Renaissance, is bringing renewed growth to Children's Orchard. As a parent and former franchise owner, Bond knows first-hand the costs associated with raising children in today's fashion-conscious world. By applying experiences from his personal life along with lessons he learned during his years with other franchise concepts, Bond is well on his way to achieving his goal of having 300 locations open by 2007.
"The most valuable lesson I've learned throughout my years in the franchise industry is how to grow the right way," Bond said. "Too many franchise concepts grow too fast. They put all of their resources toward expanding, but fail to fully support their existing units. At Children's Orchard, it's not about how big and how fast we can grow. We focus on helping all of our franchisees, our veterans and our new owners, become prosperous retailers and build valuable businesses."
The company's top priorities are initial and ongoing support for Children's Orchard franchise owners, starting with a two-week training session at corporate headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich., where franchisees learn how to run and manage a store, including how to source and buy product, marketing, and financial management. Children's Orchard franchise professionals also assist with site selection, lease negotiation, and the Grand Opening. Ongoing support includes two annual national conventions, store visits, websites and email for franchisees and an online network to help franchise owners manage their businesses, source vendors and communicate with each other.
"I see great opportunities for growth with Children's Orchard because of both the strong structure of its franchise system and the explosion of the resale industry," Bond said.
According to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops (NARTS), there are more than 15,000 resale stores across the country, with growth expected at approximately 5 percent a year. NARTS projects that resale will continue to gain popularity and become an even more important segment of the retail industry as today's savvy shoppers continue to seek the best value for their dollar.
"Children's Orchard is not only still thriving after 25 years, but is picking up new momentum in today's healthy marketplace," said Bond, noting that the children's products market is growing and will soon reach nearly $200 billion per year. "Our concept strongly appeals to parents because we help them afford fashionable, quality clothes and other products for their children, and at the same time we pay cash or give them store credit for items that their kids no longer use. Entrepreneurs are attracted to our franchise opportunity because it's a fun concept that, with the aid of our business system, is easy to operate."
According to the USDA's "Expenditures on Children by Families 2000 Annual Report," a middle-income family in 2000 spent about $165,630 to raise a child to age 18, and the average three child, two-parent, middle-income family spends $26,940 a year on child-related expenses. Children's Orchard, which offers name brand clothing, toys, equipment, furniture and accessories for children up to 7 years old, helps "takes the edge off" the costs of raising children by giving parents an upscale environment they feel proud to do business with. Children's Orchard also provides an outlet for charity. Items brought in that don't meet Children's Orchard quality standards for selling can be left at the store for donation to local organizations serving the needy.
Founded in 1980, Children's Orchard is the nation's first franchise of gently used and new name-brand kids stuff. With nearly 100 franchise locations in 23 states, each Children's Orchard location buys and sells quality used and new children's brand name clothing, toys and accessories in an upscale retail environment. Children's Orchard stores are designed to emphasize quality, value, comfort and commitment to the local community.
View More Children's Orchard Franchise Information
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