ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A new consignment shop centered on kids is coming to the Lehigh Valley, offering parents and caregivers an opportunity to save cash on necessities without sacrificing style for the little ones.
This weekend, Once Upon A Child, “the leading children’s clothing and accessories retail concept,” will open its doors at 1932 Catasauqua Road in Allentown. The nationally recognized brand, which hosts another 10 locations in Pennsylvania, focuses on affordable, gently used children’s clothes, shoes, toys, equipment and more.
- Kid-oriented consignment shop Once Upon A Child will open its doors this Thursday, offering gently-worn clothes and accessories at steep discounts
- From Thursday through Sunday, the shop will offer special grand opening promotions, including tickets for 20% the store for an entire year
- Those looking to sell their stock of kids' clothes and items can get cash on the spot, without having to schedule an appointment
Sustainability is key to the concept of Once Upon A Child, allowing for clothes, toys and other items to find a new home as opposed to landing in the trash. In the same vein, it allows parents on a budget to pick up high-quality, low-cost necessities to keep their kid’s closets fresh.
“I understand how expensive it is to raise children today and want to offer an affordable option for local families. Julie and I have been with Winmark for 15 years and we currently own six other Winmark locations and hope to open more. This is our biggest store yet with 7,000 square feet of selling space and we are excited to offer a bigger selection for families with children with over 75,000 items to shop from.”Once Upon A Child Allentown co-owner Ryan Simmons
Owners Ryan and Julie Simmons said their operation fills a “distinct niche” in the retail market, setting it far apart from other stores, especially with the help of the Winmark Corporation, a noted franchisor specializing in the second-hand market.
“I understand how expensive it is to raise children today and want to offer an affordable option for local families,” Ryan Simmons said. “Julie and I have been with Winmark for 15 years and we currently own six other Winmark locations and hope to open more. This is our biggest store yet with 7,000 square feet of selling space and we are excited to offer a bigger selection for families with children with over 75,000 items to shop from.”
The Simmonses are confident in the concept of the resale market, Julie Simmons said, noting two of their other Winmark locations are on the same strip of Catasaqua Road.
“We have two other stores – Plato's Closet, that focuses on the teenagers, and it's done really well. And then, a few years later, we opened our Style Encore, which focuses on women. It was just the natural progression to move on to the kids. It was talked about a lot for years in Plato's Closet – ‘When are you going to do a children's store? When are you going to do children's store?’ And then the availability of the real estate came up. It was just perfect timing,” Julie Simmons said.
Julie Simmons said she and her family fell in love with the concept of Plato’s Closet and other gently-used stores when their daughter played softball. Whenever they would spot a Plato’s Closet, they would stop by to see what was on the shelves, as stock constantly changes.
But one of the biggest features which sets Once Upon A Child apart from other consignment shops is the ease of selling your stuff to them.
“We pay cash, so we take all of the risk. We purchase it from you, and it's ours. So with consignment, you wait for it to sell. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it get stolen. Who doesn't like to have the cash to turn right around and get a whole new wardrobe at 70% off. It's just a just a great concept. It was brilliant,” Julie Simmons said, adding sellers do not require a appointment, and Once Upon A Child is always open to new items, in season or otherwise.
As long as items are gently-used but in good condition, Simmons said, the store is willing to buy it, whether it’s chic couture or everyday overalls.
“Who doesn't like to come in and find a $2.50 top, you know? I mean, it's just great for everyone,” Julie Simmons said.
And as for the atmosphere? Customers have told the Simmonses they are surprised by the setup in their stores, with everything carefully organized and easily accessible for parents and kids – including the toys.
“The toy section, it's crazy. It's a toy wonderland, it's very kid friendly. The toys are on the shelves, they can take them off, play with them, hopefully tell mom and dad that they'd like it to go home with them,” Julie Simmons said.
And while other consignment and thrift stores are upping their prices as popularity for the past skyrockets, the Simmonses said they’ll maintain their affordability at all their locations – “In fact, the pricing even in our Plato’s Closet is the same as 12 years ago as when we started, which is crazy to me,” Julie Simmons said.
Special promos for grand opening weekend
In celebration of their grand opening, starting this Thursday the store will offer special promotions throughout the weekend.
On July 27, the first 50 people in line will receive a Once Upon A Child recycle bag filled with scratch-off cards with discounts ranging from 10 to 50% off, with two golden tickets offering 20% off every visit for a year. In addition, free books will be available with a voucher, and gift cards will be offered to those who answer “What are GG the stuffed giraffe’s favorite games?”
The next day, the store will host a raffle to win backpacks full of school supplies and four tickets to the Allentown Zoo, along with face painting from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday will feature a special shoe drop, featuring brand name athletic footwear and more.
Lastly, shoppers on Sunday can stuff as many bodysuits into a small bag as possible for $20 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“I'd love for people just to come check it out and see for themselves what a great it is,” Julie Simmons said.
