Winmark Corp.
Winmark Corporation, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, functions as a franchisor managing retail concepts centered on the buying, selling, trading, and consignment of pre-owned goods. Its business predominantly spans the United States and Canada. The company's activities are organized into two primary divisions: Franchising and Leasing. Within its Franchising segment, Winmark supports various specialized second-hand retail store brands: Plato's Closet provides a marketplace for used clothing and accessories tailored for the teenage and young adult demographic. Once Upon A Child caters to parents by acquiring and selling both new and gently used children's apparel, toys, furniture, and equipment for ages ranging from infancy to twelve years. Play It Again Sports offers new and pre-owned sporting equipment, gear, and accessories suitable for diverse athletic pursuits, including team sports, fitness activities, and winter sports. Style Encore concentrates on women's fashion, facilitating the exchange of previously owned clothing, footwear, and accessories. Music Go Round serves musicians by dealing in new and used musical instruments, audio electronics such as speakers and amplifiers, and associated accessories. In addition to its retail franchising, Winmark also participates in the financial services sector through its equipment leasing division, which focuses on providing financing for technology and other essential business equipment to middle-market companies. As of February 23, 2022, Winmark's extensive network comprised 1,271 franchised store locations. Certain brands also extend their reach through e-commerce platforms, including musicgoround.com, playitagainsports.com, and style-encore.com.