As much as we all love our heels, flats can be fun too – and they’re on-trend for spring!
Loafers and other fun flats in different patterns are a hot trend this season. Try them in metallic or a fun print, wear them with a cute floral or black and white dress, or keep it simple with a great pair of skinny jeans or one of this season’s biggest trends, boyfriend jeans. Just be sure and roll the jeans up to show a little leg…and show off that great pair of shoes! It will help keep your style for spring hip and cool.
Flats can add a playful, fresh feel to an outfit, as well as adding some color in a great print or pattern to a solid-colored look.
We all love to kick up our heels – but sometimes that is even more fun to do in a great looking pair of flats…and a cute pair of flats with the right outfit is always a great look for your legs too!
Denim is one of those things that just never goes out of style. The cuts and styles change, but denim always works. For this season, the on-trend style in jeans is boyfriend denim – and to look even hipper, roll up the legs a bit to show a little ankle with a great pair of sandals or pumps. And make the jeans a bit distressed to look even cooler…and loose and comfortable.
For other denim, a great denim shirt belted at the waist, or a jean jacket with just the right amount of wear looks great with everything from a pair of jeans to a long, flowing dress or a great miniskirt.
Come visit NTY Clothing Exchange and see our great selection of “gently-used” denim at much lower prices. Because when it comes to denim – we all just love our jeans. They’re the ultimate in comfort that can be dressed up or down.
Jewelry is a fun and inexpensive way to keep up with trends, make your outfits pop, and keep your look fresh and cool. This spring, the choices are pretty open. Whether you want to go for a feminine and delicate necklace or a bold statement piece, there are many options this year. Great accessories can really pull an outfit together. Go colorful, silver, gold…or mix them all! For a great look, monogrammed pieces are on-trend or add some bright turquoise or red bracelets to your wrists – or a great pair of fun geometric earrings.
Spring is a great time to experiment with trends – and jewelry is one of the best ways to do it!
It’s always fun to follow fashion trends and add them to your style. It can help make your look a little more hip and cool. One of the hottest trends for 2015 is the color Marsala, which is the Pantone color of the year. On their website, the Pantone Color Institute, the authority on color, describe the shade as “a naturally robust and earthy wine red.” With its rich tones, Marsala is a shade that could work on a lot of girls and guys.
NTY Clothing Exchange in Minnetonka sells used teen clothing in an environment that feels like a new-merchandise store
As Sarah Buzzell perused items at the new NTY Clothing Exchange in Minnetonka, she couldn’t help but notice the pristine quality of the used merchandise, rock-bottom prices — and that lulling fragrance.
“This place smells amazing,” said the Ramsey resident, as the aroma of coconut lime verbena wafted from the store’s ScentAir machine. “The stuff looks new, and the store is nice and clean.”
Ron Olson, president of NTY Franchise Co., says it’s his meticulous attention to detail that has made him a resounding success in the resale business. Sure, updated signage and fixtures are important, but so is preventing secondhand shops from smelling like attics. “NTY is about looking and smelling like a store that sells new merchandise,” Olson said.
The NTY (New to You) Clothing Exchange, which buys and sells used clothing for teens and young adults, builds on five other resale concepts Olson oversees through his franchise company. His latest, NTY Kids, also recently opened in Minnetonka and will start selling clothes in September. Other NTY entities include New Uses, which sells used furniture, Way to Go Sports, Clothes Mentor and Device Pitstop, which specializes in secondhand electronics.
Olson has been a resale pioneer, making a name for himself at Grow Biz, a company that sold franchises for secondhand stores and was later renamed Winmark under new ownership. The company launched well-known resale names such as Play It Again Sports, Once Upon a Child and Plato’s Closet, which sells teen merchandise.
Olson left the company in 2000 and retired, but returned to the resale business in 2006, buying three Clothes Mentor stores and the naming rights in 2007. He has grown the business to more than 100 stores.
Now at 73, he’s still selling franchises that buy and sell used goods. And his timing couldn’t be better. Nationally, the number of used-goods stores has grown 7 percent each year since 2010, making it a $13 billion industry in 2012, reports the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops. Franchising is also heating up, with the number of U.S. franchises expected to grow 1.7 percent this year, the highest growth rate since before the recession.
Clothes Mentor, in particular, has revolutionized the resale industry. The women’s clothing retailer one-upped the consignment concept by paying cash up front, no waiting, demanding current styles in near perfect condition. “Twenty years ago there were only consignment stores,” Olson said. “We brought in a more commercially accepted brand that looked like stores that sold new retail.”
Clothes Mentor has 110 locations nationally, including eight in the Twin Cities area, with more than 60 to open soon. Winmark, now Olson’s competitor, is copying the success of Clothes Mentor by opening similar stores called Style Encore that cater to the same demographic — women in their late 20s to mid-50s. Locations in Eagan and Maple Grove opened recently.
Olson’s advantage is his history of experience in the resale franchise business, said Gaylen Knack, a franchise attorney at Gray Plant Mooty in Minneapolis. “Others have come in and had average to medium success, but Ron stays on top of trends and can offer plenty of guidance to franchisees who may not have a retail background,” he said.
Olson and NTY have also branched out into areas untested by competitors. New Uses, which has 10 locations, including one in Minnetonka and one in Maple Grove, sells used household goods and furniture. The growth in New Uses stores has been slower than at Clothes Mentor. “It’s more challenging than selling clothes,” Olson said. “We’ve got plenty of customers who want to buy. Our same-store sales were up 18 percent last year, but it’s harder to get people to bring in their furniture to sell.”
Earlier this year, the company opened Device Pitstop in Minnetonka, a store that buys, sells and services used laptops, tablets and cellphones. Olson projects 300 more stores within five years. With seven stores open nationwide, the average store had revenues of $800,000 last year on a 60 percent margin, Olson said.
While the resale market seems to have unlimited potential as consumers seek value, not everything has worked for Olson. Categories such as ReTool had a wrench thrown at them when men didn’t want to sell their used tools. “We could never get enough used product to sell,” Olson said. “It’s the same thing with adult men and their clothes. After their 20s, they wear them out to a point that they’re not re-sellable. But in their teens and 20s, they grow out of them before they can wear them out.”
But those are but two rough spots in a sea of unwanted merchandise consumers want to recycle for cash. “The demand is there. We’ve become the supply,” Olson said.
NTY Clothing Exchange in Minnetonka sells used teen clothing in an environment that feels like a new-merchandise store
New-to-You franchises
Clothes Mentor (used clothing and accessories for women): 110 stores, eight in the Twin Cities area.
New Uses (used furniture and home goods): 10 stores including Maple Grove and Minnetonka, and one opening soon in Woodbury.
Way to Go Sports (used sporting equipment): Two stores in Minnetonka and Golden Valley
Device Pitstop (used personal electronics ): Seven stores including Minnetonka, and a dozen more planned for the Twin Cities area. Agreements for stores in Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Richfield, Woodbury, Maplewood, Burnsville and Duluth have been signed.
NTY Clothing Exchange (used clothing and accessories for teens and young adults): One store open in Minnetonka.
Michelle Vaudrin is the Senior Director of Operations for Children’s Orchard and Clothes Mentor. Before joining Children’s Orchard in 2016, she worked in leadership roles for Burlington, American Eagle, and Macy’s.
Michelle attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a Retail Merchandising and Business Administration degree. She brings an extensive background in training in strategies, merchandising, customer service, and multi-unit store operations to the team.
Jenny Mann
Vice President of Operations | Executive Director of IT
Jenny Mann is the Vice President of Operations for Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. In January of 2020, Jenny also took on the role of Executive Director of IT, overseeing BST, our Point of Sale system, and the e-commerce platforms for both brands. Prior to this, Jenny was the Director of Marketing for NTY Franchise Company since January 2013. Jenny started with the NTY Franchise Company in 2008 with Clothes Mentor and has held many roles, including; Store Manager, New Store Opener, and Regional Operations Manager. Before joining NTY Franchise Company, Jenny worked for Old Navy (Gap, Inc.) and Target in management roles.
Chad Olson
Chief Operations Officer
Chad Olson has been Chief Operations Officer of NTY Franchise Company since January 2007. From May 1994 to December 2006, he held various positions for Winmark Corporation (f/k/a Grow Biz International, Inc.), including Field Operations Manager for the Once Upon a Child concept from 1999 to 2002, and Regional Operations Manager for the Plato’s Closet concept from 2002 to 2006.
Sean Marrs
IT/Tech Administrator
IT/Tech Administrator
Marissa Stacy
Jr. Graphic Designer
Jr. Graphic Designer
Ashlyn Aarness
Social Media Specialist
Social Media Specialist
Ashley Huebner
Director of Marketing
Ashley Huebner oversees Children’s Orchard’s marketing and advertising efforts to drive sales, build brand awareness, and lead the planning on how to market the brand effectively. She leads creative initiatives by driving the brands’ vision in aesthetics, tone, and trends to elevate our brand position as a leader in the resale category.
Ashley joined the Children’s Orchard team in 2015. Ashley has 10+ years of Graphic Design experience. Ashley holds a strong background in design, user experience, and a passion for creativity. She holds a BA degree in Advertising and Art.
