(Mich.)/Ann Arbor News:
Although he sells gently used kids’ clothing, Taylor Bond’s background before he bought the Children’s Orchard chain of resale shops had little to do with children.
Bond, 47, sold pizza with Domino’s, worked for a company called Computer Renaissance and did consulting. The common thread was franchising: Bond – who has a master’s degree in statistics from the University of Michigan – was a franchisee and franchisor for several companies and loved it.
Children’s Orchard was started on the East Coast in 1980 by a flight attendant. It later migrated to Ann Arbor, where it’s based today. Bond and his wife, Lynn, bought it in 2004. There are about 70 stores nationwide that sell used and new children’s clothing, toys, furniture, equipment and accessories.
Effects of economy: “Compared to others in our category, we are doing better. Sales-wise, we are seeing growth. Unit-wise, the credit crunch makes it considerably more difficult for new franchisees to finance their franchise investment.”
Growth plans: “We are working aggressively to grow our franchise system… Our goal is to grow to a 300-store system.”