Once Upon A Child
Retail & Consumer Goods · Specialty Retail
- Active units
- 369
- Avg unit volume
- $1.2M
- Royalty
- 5.0%
Franchised, year-end 2024
of weekly Net Sales
About Once Upon A Child
The franchise operates brick-and-mortar stores that buy and sell apparel, accessories, and gear for infants through tweens. Its business model follows a buy-outright approach, offering sellers immediate payment for items rather than using a consignment system. Retail locations carry a variety of products, including strollers, high chairs, and books, which are evaluated for safety and condition. These individually owned and operated stores serve local communities by providing a marketplace for outgrown children's goods.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$25k
- Second or subsequent store / existing Winmark franchisee
Initial Franchise Fee is $15,000 for a second or subsequent store or for an existing franchisee of one of Winmark’s other franchised concepts.
- Brand fund
1500.0% of Net Sales
- Local advertising
5.0% of Net Sales
- Footprint
3,500 – 4,500 sq ft
- Veteran discount
Not offered
Brand Percentile Rankings
Growth
- Total locations369
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings12
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate2.8%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR2.4%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio12.0×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)$1.2M
Average Gross Sales represent revenue for the 12-month period ended December 28, 2024.
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)$1.1M
Gross Sales means all revenues the franchisee receives from the sale of goods and services in connection with the store, less sales tax and customer refunds an…
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)$1.6M
Gross Sales means all revenues the franchisee receives from the sale of goods and services in connection with the store, less sales tax and customer refunds an…
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate—
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$354k
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open11 months
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
↓ Lower is better - Royalty rate5.0%
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
↓ Lower is better - Sales-to-investment ratio3.5×
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
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Location footprint
Showing 360 of 557 mapped locations
Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.