Making life easier for parents
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This article was published 28/11/2019 (2170 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Over the past nine years, millions of items of children’s clothing, toys, equipment and accessories have passed through the doors of Once Upon a Child Winnipeg East.
Located at 1600 Regent Ave. W in Unit 2A, the shop is open seven days a week, buying and selling gently used kids clothes and more.
“As we all know, every parent is busy, so this is a fun and easy way to recycle your kids stuff and to shop as well,” said owner Chantelle Harder, who opened the store, which is part of an international franchise, in 2011.
At that time it was the first of its kind in Winnipeg, though a Winnipeg West location opened at 1330 Ellice Ave. in 2015.
“It took us a year to really get going, for people to understand that we weren’t like other consignment stores out there,” Harder said.
Once Upon a Child “offers convenience and cash on the spot” for the items it accepts, Harder explained.
“People can come in with no appointment necessary and bring a truckload of stuff, bins and boxes of clothing and toys,” she said, adding that on average, about 50 customer come in daily looking to sell items. “We sort through it the same day it’s brought in. Anything that’s passed on, we replace it in the bins or boxes and explain why we had to pass on (it).”
Franchises make use of a centralized database that assigns purchase and retail value for in demand items.
“We have a very strict and regimented way that we sort through the items,” Harder said. “We’re looking for items from stores in the last three years, in next to new condition, free of any spots, marks, pilling or fading, things like that.”
For toys, equipment and accessories, a safety and recall check is done with Health Canada.
“We take safety very seriously here,” said Harder. “If items come in that were recalled, we let the people know they have been recalled and why we’re unable to buy them.”
When items have stuck around through a seasonal clearance cycle, Harder said that the store will donate them to a variety of charities — like You Can’t Spoil a Baby, Salvation Army, and the Sandy Bay Organization — to keep stock fresh.
“We want to give back to the community,” she said.
A mother of four, Harder said part of the motivation for opening the shop in the first place was to make life easier for parents.
“It was that, Holy moly, I can outfit my whole family in one store,” she said. “That’s been really nice.”
An added bonus has been the ability to spend more time with her kids.
“The kids have helped me with the business, if they’re off school or what not,” she said. “It’s nice to have a true family business in this awesome city that we live in.”
As her kids have grown older, Harder opened up a location of Plato’s Closet, a used clothing store for kids that is part of the Minneapolis, Minn.-based Winmark corporate family, which also houses Once Upon a Child and Play It Again Sports.
Once Upon a Child Winnipeg East has also grown over the past nine years. Two years ago, Harder took over the neighbouring unit at 1600 Regent Ave. W, nearly doubling the store’s footprint.
“It was a huge undertaking,” she said. “But going from 3,000 to nearly 6,000 (square-feet) has been instrumental to our business.”
Harder also credits her staff and loyal customers with the success the shop has enjoyed over the years.
“The biggest part of our success has been the amazing people who come in and shop and sell things to us everyday and the amazing team we have,” she said. “We’re really a family here, it’s awesome.”
Visit www.onceuponachildwinnipegeast.com for more information.
Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist
Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist
Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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