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Uptown Cheapskate
The Uptown Cheapskate franchise offers shoppers an upscale experience while shopping for new and gently used, name brand clothing and accessories. This is recycling at its best as tens of thousands of items find new homes while helping communities stretch their budgets on fashionable apparel and accessories.
Facts & figures
Uptown Cheapskate
The average American buys 68 items of clothing in a year — and most of those items simply don’t get worn enough! That’s where we come in. At Uptown Cheapskate, our franchise stores buy and sell thousands of gently used items a month, giving back to the community while providing a great income for our store owners.
Founded in 2009, Uptown Cheapskate’s upscale resale franchise model has grown rapidly to more than 45 locations in 17 states. Not only do our stores look more like the mall than your typical thrift store, they run using sophisticated technology and big business operational expertise.
Why own an Uptown Cheapskate
REASON 1: UNPARALLELED BRANDING
Our marketing is as upscale as our store experience. The in-house marketing team creates original materials that are not just effective, but stylish and uniquely Uptown. With custom designs for each marketing need, it’s like having a free ad agency at your fingertips. As an owner, you’ll experience results- driven marketing to reach your target market, a strong brand loyalty, and a beautifully designed store that exudes style — just like our customers.
- Results Driven Marketing: No stock images for us. From social media, web and email marketing to in-store graphics, public relations and car wraps, our marketing materials are uniquely designed to speak to our savvy shoppers
- Beautifully Designed Stores: From the moment customers walk through our doors, they’re exposed to the upbeat, urban style of Uptown Cheapskate. Our stores are specifically designed to promote a high-fashion yet friendly atmosphere.
REASON 2: PROPRIETARY TECH
Not everyone can evaluate and accurately p rice thousands of different clothing brands. The good news? We can. Our user-friendly appraisal software and reporting systems help owners make wise and consistent buying and pricing decisions as well as access important sales information in real time.
- Inventory Management and Appraisal Program (IMAP): Using IMAP, our owners are able to obtain gross margins of nearly 68% on the clothing they purchase. With its’ easy-to-use interface and built-in brand and pricing structure, even a novice can function like an expert
- Real-time reports: With our cloud-based reporting system, franchise owners can easily receive sales reports in real time. These reports can be accessed remotely, allowing store owners to effectively manage multiple stores simultaneously. From our portal, owners can also access training resources and marketing support
REASON 3: PROVEN SYSTEMS
Our robust management tools and extensive training are effective, comprehensive, and streamlined. We’ve combined the best practices of our top stores into a complete store management package. The result? Easier multi- store management, improved staff training and engagement, and dramatically improved operations.
- Management Tools: We provide a series of management guides to help owners set clear expectations, measure and report goals, and provide employees with opportunities to succeed.
- Staff Training:Providing an exceptional customer experience, from our product selection to our buying process, is the biggest priority of our brand. That’s why we have a full library of training videos, simulations, quizzes, and fashion updates to help all Uptown employees and owners.
Franchise Owner Testimonials
“I wanted to own a franchise that offered the best value for me and for my community. After an exhaustive search, I found that Uptown Cheapskate had a great training and support system, a low start-up cost and a solid return on investment.” -Gary Cruz, Uptown Cheapskate Franchisee
“While we were looking into retail businesses, we came across Uptown Cheapskate and instantly loved the idea of creating relationships with those in our community. There is no better feeling than when you can provide great service and great products to appreciating customers. The fact that Uptown Cheapskate has almost no carbon footprint and helps recycle great items is just another positive to this equation.” -Darrin Song, Uptown Cheapskate Franchisee
“There’s a huge market for resale and we felt Uptown Cheapskate really spoke to who we are and the direction we wanted to go. We love offering designer brands for such reasonable prices. Uptown Cheapskate has become a household name in our community!” -Shannon Linton, Uptown Cheapskate Franchisee