Children's Orchard Opens In Milford, Massachusetts

MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS (Thursday, August 12, 1999) - Parents buying back to school apparel know all too well how costly it is to outfit kids today. More and more of those are in mid-upper income brackets supplementing new purchases with "gently used" clothes, says Gayle Gonthier-Bell, owner of the newest Massachusetts Children's Orchard, (CO), franchise store opening 10 a.m., Saturday, August 21st, at the Quarry Square Shopping Center located at 196 E. Main.

Ms. Gonthier-Bell, whose store features quality "gently used" clothing, toys and equipment, says that while there's money to be saved through wise shopping, even more can be saved by following a few simple guidelines.

"We offer both high quality "gently used" and new kids' clothes, toys and equipment. Gently used items are priced 50-80% less than retail and new items are 30% less than retail," says Bell.

She shares this advice for parents buying "gently used" clothing to stretch their kids' back to school budgets:

Know brand names of new clothing before you buy resale.
Compare prices. If you're not getting 50% off retail prices, you're not getting a deal.
Look at items one size up because there may have been shrinkage.
Check out store standards for accepting "gently used" clothing.
Be sure there is a "no question" return policy in case items don't fit.
Make sure new items are competitively priced.
Look for high quality fabrics. Durable, high quality clothing will stand up longer.
Purchase classic wear. A pair of jeans and a polo shirt never go out of style no matter how trend conscious your child is.
" Consumers who follow these guidelines," says Gonthier-Bell, "will stretch their kids' back to school budget by hundreds of dollars each year."
Realizing traditional resale shops failed to appeal to mid-upper income shoppers, Karen Lynch, a former flight attendant, founded Children's Orchard in 1980, and still owns a CO store in Newburyport, Massachusetts. There are 96 CO franchises in the U.S. including 16 Massachusetts locations.

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