LAST UPDATED: June 2026

FRANCHISE WEBSITE: https://www.winmarkfranchises.com/once-upon-a-child/

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 440+

REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $355,700 - $485,900

REPORTED ROI (Item 19): $1,268,984 (average gross sales, 2025)

Once Upon a Child is a children’s resale franchise owned by Winmark Corporation. The brand buys and sells gently used children’s apparel, shoes, toys, books, baby equipment and accessories, giving families a lower-cost way to shop for quality items while keeping usable products out of landfills. With more than 440 locations across North America, Once Upon a Child has become one of the leading names in the children’s resale category.

1. What Is the Brand Overview for Once Upon a Child?

About the Brand

Once Upon a Child was founded in 1985 by Dennis and Lynn Blum in the Columbus, Ohio, area. The concept was created to help parents manage the cost of raising children by giving them a place to sell gently used items and buy quality children’s products at a discount. In 1992, the franchising rights were sold to Grow Biz International, now known as Winmark Corporation.

Mission: Once Upon a Child’s mission is to help families save money by providing high-quality, gently used children’s products at affordable prices.

Vision: The brand’s vision is to make children’s resale more accessible in communities across North America while supporting sustainable shopping habits.

Unique Selling Points (USPs)

Offers gently used children’s items at up to 70% off retail prices.
Pays customers cash on the spot for accepted items.
Buys all seasons, all day, every day with no appointment required.
Focuses specifically on babies through tweens.
Offers a clean, organized resale shopping experience.
Checks toys and equipment for recalls.
Carries a mix of clothing, shoes, toys, books, baby gear and accessories.
Supports sustainability by extending the life of children’s products.

2. What Are the Franchise Opportunity Details?

Why Franchise With Once Upon a Child?

A proven resale model under Winmark Corporation.
More than 440 stores across North America.
A 99% franchisee renewal rate.
Recognition as Entrepreneur Magazine’s No. 1 children’s resale franchise category winner from 2010 through 2026.
More than 65 hours of classroom and in-store training.
Business planning support, including help building a three-year financial plan.
Site selection and lease support.
Marketing and advertising resources.
Field operations support from experienced retail professionals.
A proprietary point-of-sale system and cloud-based reporting tools.
A 100% franchised system focused on franchisee-owned stores.

Available Territories

Once Upon a Child has available territories throughout the United States and Canada. Prospective franchisees can review available markets through the brand’s Available Territories page.

Investment Overview

Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of a Once Upon a Child franchise ranges from $355,700 to $485,900. The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) breaks these costs down as follows:

Type of Expenditure	Min	Max
Initial Franchise Fee	$25,000	$25,000
Fixtures and Supplies	$60,000	$75,000
Signs	$10,000	$15,000
Security System & Cameras	$1,500	$4,000
Point-of-Sale (POS) System	$23,200	$30,900
Leasehold Improvements	$11,000	$21,000
Build-Out	$35,000	$55,000
Deposits & Business Licenses	$5,000	$15,000
Opening Inventory	$75,000	$85,000
Miscellaneous Pre-Opening Expenses	$50,000	$80,000
Rent (3 Months)	$20,000	$30,000
Additional Funds (3 Months)	$40,000	$50,000

Initial Franchise Fee: The initial franchise fee is $25,000 for a first store and is due in a lump sum when the franchise agreement is signed. Existing Winmark franchisees and owners opening a second or subsequent store receive a reduced fee of $15,000.

Ongoing Fees: According to the 2026 FDD, Once Upon a Child franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:

Type of Fee	Amount
Continuing fee	5% gross sales/week
Marketing	$1,500/year
Cooperative Advertising	Maximum of 5% of gross sales/year
Software Fee	$295/month

ROI Potential: According to the 2026 FDD, the 408 franchised stores operating for the entirety of 2025 reported the following gross sales and gross profits:

Quartile	Average	Median	High	Low
Top 1/4 (102)	$2,009,668	$1,876,577	$3,660,164	$1,554,407
2nd 1/4 (102)	$1,353,126	$1,345,919	$1,552,530	$1,178,270
3rd 1/4 (102)	$1,023,906	$1,032,314	$1,178,252	$872,288
Bottom 1/4 (102)	$689,235	$721,647	$868,153	$268,773
Total (408)	$1,268,984	$1,178,261	$3,660,164	$268,773

3. What Franchisee Support Does Once Upon a Child Provide?

Pre-Opening Support

Once Upon a Child provides franchisees with business planning, site selection support and training before opening. Winmark helps franchisees build a detailed three-year business plan and written narrative that can be used when pursuing financing. The brand also provides guidance on retail site criteria, including economics, size, visibility, parking and co-tenants.

Training Programs

Once Upon a Child provides more than 65 hours of classroom and in-store training. Training covers business planning, marketing, merchandising, store operations, customer service, apparel trends, product knowledge, toys and equipment, and how to evaluate what to buy and how to buy it.

Operational Support

Winmark provides ongoing support through field operations managers, marketing resources and home office support. Field operations managers bring experience from major retail brands and serve as a front-line resource for franchisees. The brand also offers professionally produced television and radio commercials, digital and social marketing assets, event marketing materials, local store marketing programs and media buying support.

Technology and Tools

Once Upon a Child franchisees receive access to the brand’s proprietary point-of-sale system, which helps streamline purchasing and pricing. The system also includes cloud-based reporting tools that support remote management and business visibility.

4. What Are the Franchise Requirements for Once Upon a Child?

Eligibility Criteria

Liquid Assets: $75,000 - $105,000
Net Worth: $400,000

Once Upon a Child does not require retail experience. The brand says most franchisees had little to no retail experience before owning their store. Winmark looks for franchisees who are passionate about the brand, their customers and serving families in their communities.

Operational Commitments

Once Upon a Child is a retail resale business that requires inventory management, customer service, team leadership, buying from customers and local marketing. The materials provided do not specifically position the brand as a semi-absentee ownership opportunity. Prospective franchisees should expect to be actively involved, especially during launch and early operations.

Funding Assistance

Winmark provides business planning support to help franchisees prepare for financing conversations. One full day of training is dedicated to building a detailed three-year plan and written narrative that franchisees can share with a bank. Specific lender partnerships were not included in the provided materials.

5. Are There Franchisee Success Stories?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SohKz1tZT3o

"The collaboration, listening to other owners’ ideas, and … what’s working for them and how they are overcoming obstacles within their business … just that constant collaboration."

- Kiya Freedman, Franchisee — Maple Grove/Anoka, Minnesota

"We get a lot of support. There's always somebody to call, and we always know that there's somebody to contact and who will find out what we can do to fix the situation."

- Simon S. and Henna H., Franchisees — Clearwater, Florida

For more franchisee testimonials and success stories, visit the Once Upon a Child franchise website.

6. What Is the Market Potential for the Children's Resale Industry?

The U.S. secondhand market reached an estimated $61 billion in 2026 and is projected to grow to $74 billion by 2029. Additionally, the U.S. kids apparel market is projected to grow from $41 billion in 2025 to $45 billion by 2032.

Several trends are driving demand for children's resale. Parents are increasingly looking for ways to reduce household expenses while still purchasing quality, name-brand clothing and gear for fast-growing children. At the same time, sustainability has become a priority for many consumers, leading more families to buy and sell secondhand rather than purchase new products. Because children quickly outgrow clothing, shoes, toys and equipment, the resale model creates a steady supply of inventory and repeat customer visits.

Competitor Analysis

Once Upon a Child competes with local children’s consignment shops, thrift stores, online resale platforms and broad secondhand marketplaces. Primary competitors include Kid to Kid, local children’s resale stores, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Mercari, Poshmark, ThredUp and traditional thrift retailers.

7. What Is the Application Process for Once Upon a Child Franchisees?

Apply and Meet Requirements: Prospective franchisees begin by submitting an application or qualification form. Winmark reviews basic information, including the candidate’s financial qualifications and the market where they are interested in opening.
Get to Know Franchisees: Once financing is confirmed, candidates have the opportunity to connect with existing Once Upon a Child franchise owners, either by phone or in person. These conversations allow candidates to ask questions, learn more about day-to-day operations and better understand what it is like to run the business.
Attend Discovery Day: Qualified candidates are invited to Discovery Day, where they meet the Once Upon a Child franchise team and learn more about the training, operations, marketing and support provided by Winmark. Discovery Day also gives both sides a chance to ask questions and determine whether the partnership is a good fit.
Join Once Upon a Child: After Discovery Day and final approval, candidates officially join Winmark as Once Upon a Child franchisees. From there, the franchise agreement paperwork is completed, franchisees are enrolled in training and the process of building the new retail resale business begins. The brand notes that it can still take several months before the grand opening, but franchisees receive the tools, training and support needed to prepare for launch.

Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and start your journey.

Disclaimer: This content is for information only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial or other advice. Nothing contained on this site constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement or offer to buy or sell any franchises, securities or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the franchise and/or securities laws of such jurisdiction.

All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the detailed circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the article constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in this article before making any decisions based on such information or other content.

Once Upon a Child Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

Don’t Miss the Next Big Franchise Story

Victoria Campisi

More Articles Like This