In the December issue of Outlook Magazine, a feature was written about the Clothes Mentor in Edmond, OK owned by Melanie & Mike Harris. The article looks at how M&M took the opportunity to build a Clothes Mentor franchise after their kids had grown up and moved out of the house. 
The full article features stories from Melanie & Mike, chronicling their journey before they started their Clothes Mentor franchise, what lead to it, and why they love it. It also discusses the unique shopping experience that is Clothes Mentor. You can read the full article on P. 17 at Issuu.com We are happy to have Melanie & Mike be a part of our Clothes Mentor franchise family! Joining our family of Franchise owners is easier than you might think! Head over to our Own a Clothes Mentor Franchise section to learn how you can become a Clothes Mentor store owner as well!
CLOTHES MENTOR: CM Fargo Store Owner named “Mompreneur”
Clothes Mentor store owner Christine Ilvedson was featured in the December-January issue of On the Minds of Moms. Crowned as their “Mompreneur”, Christine talks about her background, the Clothes Mentor store, and how she maintains balance between her family and her franchise. 
We are excited for Christine, and proud of her work as a Clothes Mentor franchise owner. Her work has led to a very successful career and business, and we are proud to have this Mom as a part of our Franchise ownership team. You can read the full article on P.30-33 at Issuu.com To learn more about how you can become a franchise owner, just head over to the Own a Clothes Mentor franchise portion of our site. You can also view Christine’s video testimonial for the franchise over on the Clothes Mentor Video Testimonials page (she is the Fargo store owner). See how you could become the next Mompreneur!
CLOTHES MENTOR: Clothes Mentor Awarded Entrepreneur Franchise 500 5 Years Straight
Since opening the first store in 2001, Clothes Mentor has been offering an upscale retail store experience, buying and selling used women’s clothing, shoes, purses and other accessories. The store began franchising in 2007, and has seen tremendous growth since, expanding the one-store idea into a nationally-recognized franchise. In 2011, the Clothes Mentor brand was honored to be ranked #38 for top new franchise, and was the first year the brand was awarded the Entrepreneur Franchise 500, ranked at #409. Since then, Clothes Mentor has continued to grow and earn awards, including Fastest-Growing Franchise earlier this year at #90. Now with 123 stores across 27 states with 50 new stores on their way, Clothes Mentor has been awarded #210 on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list for 2015. To see more information, view the Clothes Mentor profile on the Entrepreneur website. You can also learn more about our franchise right here on our website by visiting the Own a Clothes Mentor section.
CLOTHES MENTOR: Clothes Mentor Debuts 3 New Commercials
Clothes Mentor is an excellent place to buy and sell designer womens clothing, providing an excellent deal to both buyers and sellers. We are constantly trying to let women know about our store, so that they too can experience what Clothes Mentor has to offer! We have put together 3 commercials, focusing on 3 different aspects of what makes Clothes Mentor such an amazing store. Take a Look at the videos below and see for yourself!
Always Look Fabulous
Cash In Your Closet
Expand Your Closet and Wardrobe
As you can see, there is a lot that a Clothes Mentor Store has to offer! Stop by any one of our locations nationwide to experience it for yourself!
CLOTHES MENTOR: Clothes Mentor’s 100th Store
We are excited to announce that Jensen Beach, FL will be our 100th store opening on March 13th! As you know, Clothes Mentor has had amazing growth in the past 7 years. We are very proud of the progress that our stores and franchise owners have made. We want to thank all of our franchisees for everything they have done to help build this amazing brand. We are looking forward to the continued growth and partnership with our store owners, and with our shoppers as well.
Stop in to any one of our 100 stores in the coming weeks, and you will see our new “100 Stores Strong” logos. We couldn’t have built Clothes Mentor without loyal shoppers such as yourselves, and the small business owners that make these stores happen. We want to continue growing our reach, providing brand name fashions at frugal prices all across the nation. Thanks for all the support, and keep shopping smart!
CLOTHES MENTOR: Just One Franchise Article
Clothes Mentor was recently the subject of an article written by AmericasBestFranchises.com, a website that highlights different franchise opportunities around the country. The article takes a look at profit margins in the retail clothing industry, and compares standard clothing franchises to the Clothes Mentor resale clothing franchise. What they found was a franchise that had changed the profit margin numbers to give a bigger return for the investment.
The article also focuses on Clothes Mentor’s Cash on the Spot program. Unlike normal consignment shops, customers are paid cash in hand for their items when they bring them in, not when they sell. This simplified process provides instant gratification to the customers looking to sell their clothing. This is but one of the many factors that makes Clothes Mentor such a fantastic franchise opportunity.
The full article is sourced below, and the original can be found on the America’s Best Franchise Blog – Just One Franchise: Clothes Mentor.
Just One Franchise: Clothes Mentor
In 2011, Forbes took a close look at net profit margins in various retail industries to find out just how well businesses were doing. Despite gains, pretax net profit margins were hovering at just around 5% for clothing retail stores and luxury goods were at just under 6%. If you’re looking into a business, these might seem like completely dismal numbers. One franchise system, Clothes Mentor, is looking to change the profit margins game to make their franchises more profitable.
Most clothing retailers have gross profit margins of 30-40% on individual items of clothing which involve complex processes of appropriate price predictions and markdowns until all the stock is sold. Clothes Mentor, however, wants to help franchisees gain gross profit margins in the 60% range—that’s 20% more than the highest profit margins for ordinary clothing retailers. Clothes Mentor is a resale shop, so they have a completely different situation from your average local clothing store. Clothing stores are earning net profits of around 5%, but Clothes Mentor franchisees can earn 25% net profits through the Clothes Mentor franchise system. The only other industry that comes close to that amount of profitability is oil and gas at 24.1%.
The system is based on like-new and gently used clothing that can be sold at lower than retail price to customers. Clothes Mentor specializes in women’s fashions for all sizes, from 0 on up, and has a wide appeal to women looking to save money on the latest hot fashions. While it might seem farfetched that franchisees can make such high profit margins, Clothes Mentor franchisees have already achieved this goal.
Clothes Mentor is not a consignment shop. Consignment shops typically have much lower margins. While they represent less risk for owners, they also have lower profit and more headaches.
Customers can sell name-brand clothing to Clothes Mentor locations on the spot for cash anytime when the store is open. Selling customers can even then turn around and take that money to buy clothing in franchisee’s stores. Because Clothing Mentor’s stock changes rapidly between visits, there’s always something new and that keeps customers coming back, especially those who want to score a good bargain on lower than retail priced brand clothing.
The unique POS system helps franchisees manage their business to find the best profits and to price clothing correctly to sell immediately, instead of having to go through a series of markdowns. The buyback system also has integrated technology to keep Clothes Mentor’s locations stocked at the right price with the latest fashions in women’s clothing to capture sales in the moment. Instead of having to predict trends months in advance like other clothing retailers, Clothes Mentor can respond to trends immediately.
On top of a business model made for profitability, Clothes Mentor franchisees receive support and training from the corporate team that makes Clothes Mentor a full-service and support franchise. After signing contracts, Clothes Mentor franchisees go through extensive retail training with the goal of running a profitable franchise.
CLOTHES MENTOR: Changing Seasons
As we drift closer to the autumnal season, the clothes that we have grown fond of in the summer will be put away in favor of new, fall fashions. But there’s no need to just let those clothes sit away for months on end! Bring you summer clothes to Clothes Mentor, and trade your summer styles in for new fall fashions! With the dawning of the new season, we want to welcome you in to find the fall fashions you need!
Light jackets, sweaters, new jeans, scarves, and more can all be found here at Clothes Mentor. You can trade in your bright, summer colors for the warm tones that come with the fall season. And remember, Clothes Mentor has an excellent selection of handbags & purses, jewelry, shoes, boots, and more to help you migrate your closet into the new time of year.
Stay fashion forward with Clothes Mentor, and go from frugal to fabulous!
