Love Women’s Fashion? Here’s How to Love It Even More!

Love Women’s Fashion? Here’s How to Love It Even More!

You know that feeling when your outfit just works? When every accessory is perfect, the fit is fabulous, and the look is exactly what you want? Women who shop for designer clothing at Clothes Mentor get to experience that feeling every day. The power. The self-confidence. The freedom. Now imagine owning the clothing franchise and being able to work — and shop — in the world’s most amazing closet! For those who have a fancy for clothes, an eye for high style and a heart for helping, owning a women’s clothing franchise like Clothes Mentor may be just the career you’ve been craving.

Let’s get real. This is not your grandmother’s thrift shop, full of castaways that no one wants to wear. NTY Franchise Company brands like Clothes Mentor are highly selective in the items they purchase. Designer clothing. Name brands you know and love. Current fashion, gently-used and in excellent condition. Upscale resale clothing, designed to fit and flatter a variety of shapes and sizes. And the women who own a Clothes Mentor franchise get to live their dream of being on the forefront of fashion, while also helping their community. Every day they make customers look and feel their best, at a price they can afford.

JENNAH ESPOSITO: GETTING PAID TO SHOP

Mansfield, Ohio, is located between Columbus and Cleveland, with the closest big clothing retailers an hour’s drive in either direction. Thirty-year-old Jennah Esposito opened a Clothes Mentor franchise in Mansfield last October. She loves women’s fashion and admits it’s a blast to come to work and be able to shop on the job. She also enjoys helping her customers find upscale clothing without paying mall prices.

“There’s something new coming in every day,” she explains. “When stuff comes in the door, we have our pick of the latest fashion finds. I go to work every day and can basically shop, for myself and my customers. I’m the mannequin dresser and almost every day, people undress the mannequins and buy the entire outfit!”

Jennah says the Clothes Mentor business model makes sense on several levels for the women of Mansfield. “Before these kinds of resale stores,” she wonders, “what did you do with your stuff? The only option was donating to charity.” But with Clothes Mentor, local women can repurpose their gently-used clothing and accessories and sell them to the store. The customer makes money on the sale, and the other shoppers benefit from great fashion at a reduced resale price.

“After our clearance sales,” Jennah continues, “we donate to a specific church that gives the clothes away to people in need in our community. We are helping people who can’t afford retail prices still feel good and look beautiful.”

SADIE CHERNEY: STAYING ON TOP OF TRENDS

For 33-year-old Sadie Cherney, keeping up with what’s current in women’s fashion is part of the joy of owning three Clothes Mentor franchise operations in Greenville, Columbia and Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her staff is very selective in the items they accept, purchasing only 25–30 percent of the items customers bring in for sale. “We always stay on top of trends, so we can help customers find what they want in our store,” she says. “We look for spike trends, we buy with caution, and we don’t accept older items.” She’s proud of the quality of clothing in her stores and admits it’s a problem to keep her own closet from exploding. “No matter what anybody says, you’re always shopping when you’re working,” she laughs.

“For mall retail stores, they normally have one specific look,” Sadie explains. “Our diversity of clothing and accessories can be exciting. We sell designer handbags, footwear, accessories and clothing. The quality is good to great.” This franchise owner knows what she’s talking about — because she studies it for fun, and for profit.

Sadie is driven by data, and says she relies on the corporate NTY Franchise Company team for help in keeping her store on the cutting edge. “They are always crunching numbers and that helps franchise owners,” she says. “If we have a clearance sale, we know what customers said ‘no’ to. We know trends and prices. It helps us to be ready to adapt to any type of change. The company is wonderful, supportive and communicative.” It’s the perfect place for a fashion-forward woman like Sadie to work and help others live their fashion fantasies!

Sadie offers her customers the Clothes Mentor Personal Shopper Program at all three locations. The service allows shoppers to fill in their personal details on the franchise’s website. The Personal Shopper then sets an appointment and has items ready for the customer to try on when she arrives. The program is free of charge and there’s no obligation for customers to purchase anything.

CHRIS BARNETT: HELPING WOMEN LOVE THEIR BODIES

The Personal Shopper Programs in Springfield and Westchester, Pennsylvania, are a point of pride for Clothes Mentor owner Chris Barnett. She hires fashion and merchandising grads from local universities who like nothing more than finding a perfect outfit for a customer. “So often women feel bad about their bodies, when they really only need to feel bad about the way the clothes fit,” Chris believes. “Our Personal Shoppers’ mission is to show women how beautiful they are by finding clothes that fit them the best.”

Chris says her mission is accomplished when a customer can run a full cycle at her Clothes Mentor store. “A woman can buy the business suit and Coach briefcase she needs to land a great job,” she adds, “then purchase her work wardrobe, and sell back the items she doesn’t wear very often.” She says Clothes Mentor allows a woman to always have what she needs when she needs it, and what she wants when she wants it.

Chris also appreciates the eco-friendliness of the Clothes Mentor franchise concept. It’s sustainable, not fast-fashion. “You purchase an item, but when you tire of it, you sell it,” she offers. “In our store, we also have three places for our customers to donate clothing they are unable to sell. We then take donations to a local church that distributes the clothing to homeless shelters.” Her stores hold fundraisers on site and participate in “retail therapy parties” for birthdays and other functions.

LIVE YOUR PASSION FOR FASHION EVERY DAY

Owning a Clothes Mentor franchise has given all three of these women a chance to surround themselves with beauty and inspiration. They see the high-end designer fashions that make their way into the store. They chat with customers and share expertise on new trends and timeless styles. They help women make wise fashion choices that fit within their family’s budget. And they all love what they do.

“Our staff is friendly, and customers love that there are so many sizes and styles,” says Jennah Esposito of her Ohio Clothes Mentor business. Once people discover her store, “they say it’s so beautiful and it’s so nice to have it in our town.”

For Jennah, Sadie and Chris, owning a Clothes Mentor franchise is more than a great investment. It’s a way to live their passion and help other women. And in case you’re wondering, the side benefit of working in the world’s best closet allows them to keep their own closets stocked, season after season, with fabulous clothes they purchased on the job.

Owning an Upscale Resale Store is Smart Business. Here’s Why.

OWNING AN UPSCALE RESALE STORE IS SMART BUSINESS. HERE’S WHY.

While many traditional brick and mortar retailers continue to struggle, the upscale resale industry is booming. Consumers seek out resale to both shop and sell their gently-used stuff and entrepreneurs are cashing in on this growing trend.

A lot has changed over the years leading to this evolution; including the high-return, lucrative profit opportunities upscale resale can provide entrepreneurs now and well into the future.

WHY IS UPSCALE RESALE SMART BUSINESS?

TIGHTER CONSUMER BUDGETS

According to latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical U.S. household now spends about 20 percent of their annual budget outlays on health care, personal insurance, life insurance, pension-like products and social security. This is at a time when they are spending a disproportionate amount of their disposable income on communications, related technology and entertainment/experiences. Just consider what we spend on wireless, cable, internet and smartphone payments each month. Family budgets are stretched  leaving less ability to spend on full-price fashion and even full-price electronics — including our smartphones we love so much. And, the growing desire and focus on spending on experiences; such as vacations, amusement parks, salons, etc. only amplifies this crowding-out dynamic.

CULTURE CHANGE

While having less money to spend on full-price items, consumers have grown accustomed to opportunistically monetizing value for the items they no longer need. Both of these trends play right into the upscale resale industry. Whether out of necessity or not, it has become widely acceptable – and in fact often socially admirable and popular — to purchase and sell secondhand items such as clothing, electronics and household items/wares. While thrift shops have always provided this service on the low-end, the trend seemed to evolve more mainstream with the dawn of eBay. Now, it has accelerated and is moving into the high-end with upscale resale. Everybody wants in to buy stuff, sell stuff, and enjoy the thrill of the experience. This is best exhibited by Clothes Mentor, the highly successful upscale resale clothing franchise, a national franchise in the NTY Franchise Company Family of Brands. Clothes Mentor has grown from two stores (in one state) in 2006; to 145 stores (in 42 states) in 2018 — with many more in development. This upscale resale cultural evolution is booming with no signs of slowing down.

LOVE OF HUNT

Whether on eBay or at Costco, Marshalls, Ross Stores, etc. consumers have grown to love a good hunt for deals. More recently though, as a result of rapid store count growth, the selection, quality and value of merchandise at many discount retailers has waned; leaving fewer opportunities to feel satisfied finding that treasure. With a wide variety and rapidly evolving inventory of all types of unique, locally-curated brands at attractive prices, upscale resale stores provide the ultimate treasure hunt satisfaction.

LOVE OF CASH

One thing consumers appreciate more than the love of hunt is the love of cash. Upscale resale stores provide cash on the spot for items they accept from customers — another key driver of their growing popularity. This is not only good for the consumer, but also for the store owner. Initial investment is lower since there are no big, risky long-lead inventory buys (or large working capital requirements) that come along with them. Fully in control of the type, timing and level of merchandise buys from customers, the upscale resale store owners can dynamically and daily control inventory cost and cash management as they see fit.

Importantly, as James Wollman (VP of Franchising at NTY Franchise Company) notes, “Our franchises buy and sell the YES votes of what people like in fashion, electronics and other household items; we don’t deal in the NO’s that are the primary inventory of most other major discount stores.” This all results in much smarter inventory, higher inventory turnover, enhanced budgeting and working capital flexibility, and most importantly, gross profit cash margins of roughly 60 percent — well above the industry average.

PRESTIGE IN REACH

While fashion and trends change all the time, most consumers still love to have a few prestigious or conspicuously flashy items of clothing; while typically priding themselves on nameplate laptops, smartphones, headphones, etc. But in today’s economy, some top name brands are simply out of reach for many. This is the case even at discount retailers where discounts are not as great as in the past from rising product-sourcing costs — particularly freight and shipping. Upscale resale stores are not exposed to these unruly costs and provide all consumers with the opportunity to get that prestige product and feel proud and satisfied as a result.

MILLENNIALS

Often well educated, but with less money at their disposal, millennials don’t enjoy paying full price for retail but still enjoy the hunt of shopping. They typically pride themselves on bargains; especially if it will yield an environmentally friendly outcome.

Generally cash-strapped, many millennials are still saving for their own place to call home and are being encouraged to save more aggressively now for retirement. By 2020, they will represent roughly one-third of the adult population. This is a great long-term demographic trend for the upscale resale industry to leverage. This trend is expected to continue long-term as millennials’ children are brought up in — and at an early age becoming well accustomed to — the resale lifestyle.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY 

You may not think much about this, but a tremendous amount of global resources — such as energy, minerals, chemicals and water — are used to make a single item of clothing, electronic gadget, or household item. According to several estimates, it can take up to 1,000 gallons of water to grow the cotton for — and then produce, a single pair of jeans. A t-shirt can require up to several hundred gallons. This is why global clothing brands are now focusing so much on sustainable apparel.

The resources used to create products not only include the raw materials, design and production expense; but also packaging, shipping and marketing. A lot of energy is also used in collection and disposal. Resale provides a second or third lease on life to millions of products annually; which is not just good for the environment — it’s great. As just one example of how profound this can be, since 2007 Clothes Mentor alone has recycled more than 42 million items of mall brand and designer clothing, and paid women more than $180 million in cash for gently-used items. Importantly, while millennials are most known for appreciating environmentally friendly consumerism such as this, going green is an ongoing trend still gaining traction among all generations.

COMMUNITY FRIENDLY

Upscale resale is good for local communities. They encourage locals to keep their closets and residences uncluttered and fresh. With great values, they provide much-needed flexibility for local families’ budgets. With regular customer buzz, the shopping flow to the area benefits other businesses and the local tax base. Moreover, store owners and key employees get to know their regular clientele — establishing relationships that last for years. “Fashion is Fun,” proclaimed NTY’s James Wollman when describing how owning an upscale resale franchise can be more enjoyable on a daily basis than many other franchise concepts like eateries. While that may be the case, what’s most enjoyable is the multi-faceted annuity flow of business (and high return on investment) that can result from this unique communal retail activity.

EFFECTIVELY CHARITABLE

When upscale resellers are not successful selling items in a certain amount of time, they typically donate them to charity and are able to monetize the donation as a business deduction. While this is typically a very small percentage of the overall inventory turn, it is a win-win for those less fortunate and for the franchise owner seeking to maximize returns.

PROVEN BUSINESS MODELS

In the past, starting your own resale business without any infrastructure or support network was a fairly risky and daunting task. However, today with the proven business models and techniques of a leading franchise partner, the heavy lifting has already been done and the road to high-return success well-paved. With over one hundred years of collective upscale resale experience; and five successful major brands under its belt, NTY (New to You) Franchise Company is an ideal partner to get you fully up, running, and remaining on the path to high-returns success.

You may ask yourself, what makes the NTY business model so successful? Beyond a century of collective franchising experience and among a host of key factors is a serious focus on: 1) Bright, clean and fresh-aired stores; 2) Smart store layouts; 3) State-of-the-art inventory managing, pricing and point of sale cloud-based software systems; and 4) a firm grasp on all the “big data” needed to make wise purchase and sell decisions throughout the day — every day.

NTY FRANCHISE COMPANY AT A GLANCE

Founded in 2006 and Located in Minnetonka, Minnesota, NTY Franchise Company is a pioneering and highly-experienced force in the rapidly growing category of upscale resale retailing. It is the umbrella organization for four proven national franchise brands: Children’s Orchard (kids clothing franchise); Clothes Mentor (women’s designer clothing franchise); Device Pitstop (electronics repair and resale franchise); and NTY Clothing Exchange (teens and young adults clothing franchise).

NTY Franchise Company specializes in working with entrepreneurs at every stage of establishing one of these five successful upscale resale branded concepts including: Research and Discovery; Business Planning; Store Location and Leasing; Financing; Design and Build-out; Point of Service Software and Systems; Coaching and Managing; and Marketing.

To learn more about NTY Franchise Company — and the lucrative opportunities in upscale resale franchising — explore our main page or feel free to just give us a call! (952)-923-1223

Spring Cleaning for Cash

Jade Moore with Clothes Mentor in Little Rock discusses how to unload those underutilized garments for some cash!

Clothes Mentor Named to Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 2018 List

 Top-performing women’s resale clothing franchise earns their spot on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 39th annual ranking

(Minnetonka, Minn.) – Clothes Mentor, a national women’s resale clothing franchise headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is celebrating their inclusion in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® 2018 List. Considered one of the most comprehensive rankings in the franchise industry, Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 uses a proprietary formula to rank the best franchise companies in the world.

“No matter where you fall on the list, making it into Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 is a huge honor,” NTY Franchise Company COO Chad Olson said. “Clothes Mentor has been NTY Franchise Company’s most recognizable resale clothing franchise for more than a decade and we are proud of the growth and prosperity it’s had.”

Clothes Mentor was NTY Franchise Company’s first brand, launched when the company purchased the franchising rights in 2007. The resale designer clothing franchise  has seen tremendous growth over the last three years, opening 32 new units around the United States since 2015. Clothes Mentor specializes in buying and selling like-new designer clothing, shoes and accessories for women.

Resale franchises are enjoying a $17 billion boom that began during the great recession and continues today as consumers flock to stores like Clothes Mentor to buy and sell their gently used women’s fashion. Since 2017, Clothes Mentor has successfully recycled more than 42 million items of mall brand and designer clothing and paid women more than $180 million for their gently-used items.

CEO Ron Olson, the mastermind behind resale franchise brands like Play It Again Sports and Plato’s Closet, envisioned a whole new concept for women’s resale clothing franchises when he purchased the only three Clothes Mentor locations in 2007. He despised the bare-bones feel of resale stores and the “musty attic” smell common in them. Working with his son, Chad, they set out to rebrand Clothes Mentor as an upscale boutique featuring designer clothing and accessories at resale prices. They added bright colors and signage to the store design, made sure stores were well-lit and featured state-of-the-art technology. They paid special attention to the ambient scents in the store. They stocked their shelves with current fashion and paid cash on the spot to local women for their gently-used items.

The idea was a hit. Women rushed into Clothes Mentor stores to sell their gently-used designer clothing and came away with much-needed cash. They refreshed their closets with high-fashion brands for pennies on the dollar. By 2014, Ron and Chad Olson had grown the Clothes Mentor franchise to 100 stores. Today, there are more than 140 Clothes Mentor stores in 42 states. Plans call for an additional 50 locations to be opened in the next three years.

To learn more about Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 2018 List, click here.

About Clothes Mentor

Clothes Mentor started with two existing locations in 2006 and began expanding the brand the same year. As of January 2018, the company has 145 stores in 42 states with many more in development. Clothes Mentor is a resale-based women’s designer fashion brand known as being cutting-edge in both high-end designer fashion and technology. The company buys and sells like-new apparel, shoes, and accessories for all women, Sizes 0-26, petites, and maternity. The inventory comes from the same customers who shop in the store, and sellers are offered cash on-the-spot or credit toward a new purchase. With stores throughout the United States, each store serves its local community in both buying and selling gently-used, designer clothing, shoes, boots, handbags, jewelry, and other accessories.

About NTY Franchise Company

Founded in 2006 by Ron Olson, NTY Franchise Company is the gold standard in resale franchising companies. NTY franchises five brands, all with a different focus: Clothes Mentor, Children’s Orchard, Device Pitstop, New Uses, and NTY Clothing Exchange. The brands are all resale-based and cover women’s designer fashions, children’s apparel and accessories, furniture and household goods, electronic sales and repair, and clothing for teens and young adults. All are great business opportunities with cutting-edge technology, unmatched support, and lucrative resale franchises. NTY Franchise Company has helped individuals to establish resale stores throughout the United States in many communities, and it has territories available to develop nationwide.

Personal Shopper Program Gains Popularity at Clothes Mentor Edmond

We love seeing how women are trying—and loving—the Clothes Mentor Personal Shopper program! Check out this awesome article from outlookoklahoma.com about how it’s gaining popularity at Clothes Mentor Edmond:

Clothes Mentor edmond franchisee in store
Photo courtesy outlookoklahoma.com

January Business: Clothes Mentor

By Morgan Dan

Just a few months into its newly developed personal shopping program, Clothes Mentor in Edmond is already seeing a steady rise in women who appreciate the styling advice tailored specifically to them and ease of having a stylist do the shopping so they don’t have to.

Melanie Harris, franchise owner of the three-year-old women’s resale boutique at 3208 S. Broadway in Edmond, said customers are raving about the new, free service. It allows clients to fill out a short information sheet online, talk over the phone with a Clothes Mentor stylist about their goals and budget, and then come into the store to try on a clothing rack full of custom curated outfits suited just for them.

“It’s been amazing to see how people will try on and buy things they never would have picked up if on their own,” Harris said. “And my staff just loves it too. They love that they have a person to put the outfits together for.”

The program is gaining popularity among women who have specific needs and aren’t sure how to dress for them. For instance, Harris has helped women who want to find styles that work for shorter strides, recent weight loss and the body of a new mom.

The Clothes Mentor staff has a real knack for pulling together the perfect outfit from their floor of current, on-trend clothing not just for their customers, but for the dozens of mannequins located around the store modeling merchandise. One of the best compliments, Harris said, is for customers to buy the outfits right off the mannequins. In fact, it happens so frequently, it’s become a running joke among her staff.

“It’s a thrill for our mannequins to be stripped and bought,” she said. “In fact, just last week the mannequin outfits were bought four times in one hour.”

Clothes Mentor, with locations around the country, is no consignment shop or thrift store. Customers sell their gently used, name-brand clothing and accessories to the store, no appointment required, and walk out with cash immediately. Clothes Mentor accepts women’s clothing, no juniors sizes or styles, and accessories of any season as long as they are less than three years old, ensuring customers find contemporary styles.

“We’re here to meet the needs of all women,” Harris said. “Helping women look good while on a budget, that’s what it’s all about.”

Click here to see more from outlookoklahoma.com.

Clothes Mentor: Celebrating 10 Years of Leading the Charge in Women’s Resale

NTY Franchise Company’s flagship brand, Clothes Mentor, was recently featured in Franchising USA in honor of its 10th anniversary. Check out some amazing figures coming out of Clothes Mentor’s success in the brand’s brief history:

Franchising USA publication 10 year anniversary clothes mentor

Click here to view the digital article.

NTY—Clothes Mentor 10th Anniversary

Thousands of franchise brands use their 10th anniversary to brag about the millions of dollars they’ve made selling goods and services in their communities. Women’s upscale resale clothing franchise Clothes Mentor can look back at their first decade and celebrate the millions of dollars they’ve paid to the people in their communities.

$180 million, to be exact.

This February, Clothes Mentor and their parent company, NTY Franchise Company, celebrate 10 years of not only offering gently-used name-brand and designer clothing, shoes and accessories for up to 70 percent off of original retail prices, but paying cash on the spot to the women who bring in their gently-used clothing, shoes and accessories. From their first franchise in Canton, Ohio, launched in 2007 to more than 150 stores nationwide today, Clothes Mentor locations can be found in 29 states and 132 cities throughout the United States.

“This has been an amazing 10 years. I am thrilled to be where we are after 10 years of growth. We would not have been able to accomplish what we have without the hard work and dedication from our franchisees and Clothes Mentor corporate staff in Minneapolis,” said Chad Olson, COO of NTY Franchise Company.

Resale pioneer abandons retirement to launch resale revolution

As a child, Ron Olson worked in the theatre his parents owned and watched the many movies that showed how the rich and famous lived. He thought maybe some day he could be rich like that. In 2000, at the age of 58, he reached that goal when he retired a multimillionaire after building GrowBiz, his empire of resale stores that included Play It Again Sports and Plato’s Closet. In retirement, Ron golfed. He dabbled in real estate. He travelled. He went crazy. He decided that retirement wasn’t for him.

“I was bored. I love work and it drives me,” he said. “I had to get back in the game.”

By 2006, The Godfather of Resale was at it again. On a visit to Columbus, Ohio, Ron’s friends Lynn and Dennis Blum, the founders of Plato’s Closet and Once Upon a Child, introduced him to their new women’s upscale resale store, Clothes Mentor. Olson saw potential. He jumped out of retirement and started NTY Franchise Company, purchasing the three Clothes Mentor locations and hiring his son, Chad, who helped him grow the brand.

“There are still plenty of open markets for Clothes Mentor across America. More and more Americans today want an alternative to thrift in their market, and Clothes Mentor provides them that with its brightly lit, clean and organized shopping environment,” Chad Olson said.

By March of 2014, Clothes Mentor had grown to more than 100 stores. The concept was a hit with franchise owners who loved being their own boss as well as cash-strapped consumers still suffering financially from the great recession of 2008 but wanting to enjoy the designer retail brands at Clothes Mentor’s resale prices.

Today, resale is a $12 billion industry with Clothes Mentor leading the charge in upscale women’s clothing. Over the last decade, they’ve sold more than 28 million units of clothing, recycled 42 million units, and created almost 6,000 local employment opportunities.

Making dreams come true

For Clothes Mentor franchisees, the business has provided more than just an income. It’s been a life-changing event. Franchisees like Mike and Melanie Harris of Edmond, Oklahoma, were able to return to their home and be with their families thanks to the opportunity provided by Clothes Mentor.

“We are thankful to have found the opportunity to own a Clothes Mentor franchise. Because of this, we moved back to our home state of Oklahoma to be near family, which encouraged more family to move here as well. We doubt this would have happened in the three years we’ve been here, without this major life change,” they said.

For others, purchasing Clothes Mentor franchises wasn’t just about being close to family, it meant working in the family business. Sisters Sadie Cherney and Alyssa Cox each own multiple Clothes Mentor locations in North and South Carolina. Their parents had owned resale stores since Sadie and Alyssa were teenagers, giving them a firsthand experience into the wonderful world of resale.

“Having the Clothes Mentor franchises has been a wonderful experience for our family to grow together in the resale industry. Opening a business is always a risk, but we felt strongly from the beginning with our parent’s past experience in resale franchises that it was a profitable opportunity. We look forward to opening more in the near future,” Alyssa said.

Sadie agrees.

“Growing up with family resale franchises provided a framework for my sister and I to appreciate recycling and value-driven shopping,” she said. “We’ve been able to build a work culture that takes great pride in our small businesses, as well as a mission to be involved in and supportive of the communities where we are located.”

Kathy and Lane Bosley own Clothes Mentor in Tyler, Texas, and are hoping their daughters can learn similar lessons by seeing their mom and dad win with their franchise store.

“We are thankful to show our children (ages 9–16) how to own a business. We’re thankful they’ll see how much hard work is required, how important good character is and what a blessing it is to work together as a family!” she said.

More to come over the next 10 years

Clothes Mentor recently launched a free personal shopper program where customers submit their sizes, style preferences and budget either by phone or online, then one of the store’s fashion experts selects outfits for the customer to try on upon arrival. The personal shopper program is currently active in 105 stores and will continue to expand in 2017.

NTY Franchise Company plans to launch 25 Clothes Mentor stores in 2017 and hopes to open around 25–30 per year over the next decade, making Olson and his team very optimistic for the future.

“The next 10 years are going to be awesome. We will be approaching 500 stores, and our franchise base and the customers we serve will have grown dramatically. The jobs our franchisees have created will have helped thousands and thousands of Americans. Only in franchising can you get this kind of trifecta.”

Click here to see more from Franchising USA.