By Nancy Brumback, Contributing Writer
Business name: Children's Orchard
Address: Westboro Shopping Plaza, 18 Lyman St. Westborough
Owner: Debbie Intrieri
Telephone: 508-366-5437
Website: www.childrensorchard.com
How long have you been in this business?
“Children's Orchard, which is a national franchise company, has been in business for 20 years. This is my fourth year here,” said Debbie Intrieri, owner of the children's resale shop in the Westboro Shopping Plaza on Route 9.
What types of merchandise do you carry?
“We carry clothes and shoes, everything you need for a baby, toys, strollers, backpacks and swings. We go from newborns to teenagers, size 16. We have sports equipment like soccer cleats. We have dancewear??”leotards, tap shoes, ballet shoes??”at a fraction of the price you pay in the stores.
“We inspect every single item that is brought in. Nothing goes on the floor that has any rips or stains. We look up all the toys and equipment online to make sure nothing has been recalled,” Intrieri said.
“For older children, size 12 and up, we only resell mall brands like Hollister, Gap and Abercrombie. The older kids know the brands and that's what they want.
“We have some new merchandise in the front of the store, including products from Melissa & Doug, a Connecticut company that makes wooden toys and puzzles.
“In August we do our back-to-school event, and we put out winter coats and boots then as well. We have top names and mall brands, even Ugg boots. Here's a pair of brand new Columbia boots you's pay $60 for and we sell for $12,” she said, picking up boots that had recently come in.
Who are your customers?
“Most people are buying for their own children. We get a lot of grandparents buying clothes to keep at grandma's or a second set of equipment for their house. That's especially the case if the grandchildren don's live nearby and don's want to bring a lot on the plane.”
How can people sell to you?
“Look at our website, www.childrensorchard.com, because it has detailed information about what we will buy. You can make an appointment to bring your goods in, and we do take walk-ins. We only take a limited amount at one time.
“There are some things we do not take. Legally, we cannot resell car seats because you can's tell if they'se been compromised. We don's buy cribs because there are a lot of recalls on those. When we buy equipment such as strollers, it has to be no more than five years old. We'se hooked up to a government website to check for recalls and it only goes back five years. We want everything we sell to be safe.
“We pay for the merchandise with cash or a store credit. Our store credit never expires. The store credit may be 25 to 50 percent more than the cash, depending on any promotions we'se running.”
