As one of the top two stores in the Children’s Orchard franchise system, record weeks are something Chrisitie and Dan strive for all the time.

How do they do it? 

Simply put:  Hard work.  Dan and Christie are aggressive marketers.  Their Children’s Orchard Springfield, MO store has excellent customer service, a top-notch staff, and a huge selection of gently used kids clothes, toys, furniture, and accessories. 

Over the years, the Springfield Children’s Orchard store has built a loyal following of moms who appreciate the Children’s Orchard brand and the commitment Christie and Dan have made to the community.

This is NOT clearance merchandise but excess back stock that has never been on the selling floor.  Thousands of pieces of resale clothing spread out in a spacious Children’s Orchard tent with plenty of room to shop.  Children’s Orchard Tent Sales are a great opportunity to shop ahead for fall or stock up now on summer fashions.

Kansas City Store:
6242 North Chatham Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64151 • (816) 505-4400

Ann Arbor Store:
887 West Eisenhower Parkway
Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Bring a friend and do not miss this exciting Children’s Orchard event!

Solution: Children’s Orchard, a resale clothing store selling high-end brands at low-end prices.

Barbara Byrne, owner of the Litchfield Park Children’s Orchard at Dysart and Camelback roads, knows this problem. As the mother of four girls, she can appreciate the importance kids place on fashion, especially when it comes to back-to-school time. But she also knows how expensive it can be to outfit those kids when every month means another mark on the growth chart. Fortunately for Byrne, her daughters’ proximity in age has allowed her to pass clothing from one girl to the next.

“I got so good at organizing and storing things by size and style that my neighbors started coming over and going through my bins,” she said. “Eventually, we realized, ‘Wow, there’s really something to this.’ “

So Byrne, a stay-at-home mom at the time, applied to the 28-year-old Children’s Orchard franchise to open a branch in the southwest Valley. Her store carries clothing from infant sizes up to size 16 in a range of brands, from Target and Kmart to Abercrombie and Aeropostale. Most of the clothing tends toward the higher-end brands.

“Gymboree is probably our biggest seller,” Byrne said.

The store only accepts items in “exceptional condition”- no stains, rips, tears or wear. Many items still carry original tags; a Ralph Lauren dress that sold for $49.95 goes for $14.95 at Children’s Orchard.

Byrne’s organizational proficiency reflects in her store. Clothing is arranged by size and brand, from least to most expensive. The boutique also sells new and used toys, which are categorized by age and displayed alongside the clothing. Most of the staff have children, Byrne said, and can help parents pick out suitable toys based on their stipulations.

For parents with smaller children, a trip to Children’s Orchard means no babysitters and no unhappy campers. Byrne staffs “grandmas” on each shift to hold babies, and employees help entertain older siblings at the store’s game corner.

The interview provided us an opportunity to talk about all the great things going on at Children’s Orchard and to emphasize the fact that during tighter economic times Children’s Orchard is the very best way to save tons of money buying children’s clothing, toys, and accessories.  That why we say, “Find a Treasure. Save a Fortune!” and “It’s Better than a Sale.  It’s Resale.”

Add to that the fact that Children’s Orchard recycles (we have been for nearly 30 years) and you’ve got an irresistable set of reasons to shop Children’s Orchard regularly.  In fact, many Children’s Orchard stores will be celebrating Earth Day by having special events at the store. 

The article should be hitting the stands soon.   

Well that’s not going to stop our franchise owners from celebrating.  All sorts of great events are going on this weekend at Children’s Orchard.

In Ann Arbor, MI the Children’s Orchard is having an Opening Day celebration.  Besides giving away four tickets to a Detroit Tigers game, a couple of lucky Children’s Orchard customers will have a chance to run through the store and fill a bag with free merchandise.

At the Mission Viejo, CA Children’s Orchard they’ll be holding a Fill-a-Bag event.

At the Green, OH Children’s Orchard this Thursday through Sunday Newborn through 12 month clothing will be Buy One Get One Free.

Those are just a few of the many Spring events going on this weekend at Children’s Orchard franchise stores throughout the U.S.

Here’s an interesting article entitled, “Satisfied Customers: What Do Customers want?”.  It pretty much sums up what every Children’s Orchard franchise owners needs to keep in mind as they run their stores.

“With today’s cutthroat competition from big business, trying to compete on price can be a quick road to ruin… But here’s a little secret you should know: contrary to common perception, customers will not go almost anywhere just to save a buck.

So if you want to avoid getting beat up on price, stop trying to compete on price alone. What your business needs to stand out is better customer service and satisfied customers . But don’t make it the simple “please and thank you” variety. Aim higher. Strive for fabulous, standout, outrageously great service…

Will superior service trump price? Absolutely, says a dramatic new survey of over 100,000 small business and retail customers nationwide. According to a four-year study conducted by the Ohio-based market intelligence firm BIGresearch, most customers will put service ahead of price – if you give them the chance.

BIGresearch asked tens of thousands of shoppers how they like to shop, what they look for in customer service and what it takes for them to buy. And according to T. Scott Gross, who turned the results into a new book called “When Customers Talk,” some of the most deeply entrenched “wisdom” about what customers want may simply be wrong.

For example, when researchers asked customers how far they’d be willing to drive for excellent service , 80 percent said they’d travel four or more miles, and nearly half said they would drive 10 miles or more for the right combination of price, quality and customer service.

“American shoppers are not the finicky, price-conscious bargain hunters they have been made out to be,” says Gross. “Consumers will pay for good service with both their cash and their time.”

Your job… is to deliver superior service that attracts and keeps customers day in and day out. Satisfied customers say they are willing to drive a little further for great service, but you’d better make it worth their effort.

Just how many service slipups does it take to send a customer packing? According to the BIGresearch survey, 17 percent will bolt after a single service faux pas. Another 40 percent will jump ship after two instances of poor service, and 28 percent more are out the door after three. So for 85 percent of your customers, it’s three strikes and you’re out.

Fair enough. But what do buyers really want from you?”

At Children’s Orchard, we never stop thinking about What the Customer wants (WCW).  That singular focus is vital to achieving what every Children’s Orchard franchise owner seeks, prosperity.

Both stores were off with a bang and they continue to do well.  Customers love the Children’s Orchard franchise concept.  They get brand name children’s clothing, toys, and accessories at incredible prices.  Word of mouth has spread faster than a cold at a day care.

Northern, California is next for a Children’s Orchard franchise location.

It’s been a long, cold winter!  Children’s Orchard Owners are anxiously awaiting the sunny days ahead as they help to put their customers in the mood to buy lots of great, brand name resale clothing at incredible prices.

Rising gas prices and the fear of inflation and recession make Children’s Orchard the perfect place to shop.  Why pay retail when you can bring in your gently used clothing, toys, and accessories sell them for store credit (we pay a bonus!) or cash and then turn around and save a ton!

Environmentally sound, we recycle, incredible selection, and phenominal vale.  That’s why at Children’s Orchard we proudly say, It’s better than a sale, It’s resale™. 

“A little boy named Matthew (about 5) fell in love with a Little Tikes work bench for $34.99. His mother told him he had no room left in his room for such a big item and that he would have to think and decide which of the things in his room he doesn’t use and would be willing to give up to make room.  After some careful thought he said he knew, ‘his dresser….he doesn’t use it.’ 

Matthew made his own appointment at Children’s Orchard for Wednesday and brought in his rocking horse and a few other items that he sold to us for store credit.  He bought his work bench (which we had put aside for him) and also bought something for his baby sister.  Matthew and his mom were very excited.  This story had us all laughing and sort of put things in perspective for a very busy day.”

No matter how small or young, everybody recognizes the great deals they can get at Children’s Orchard.