Boomerang Kids
A new kind of shopping experience is appearing across Canada! Boomerang Kids, a children’s clothing and supply retailer, is giving new and growing families the chance to find great products at phenomenally low costs.
The Boomerang Kids Sales Model
Boomerang Kids operates unlike any other children’s retailer in Canada. Parents and families dropoff product at any of their eight locations throughout Ontario and Quebec. Boomerang Kids will accept children’s clothing from newborn to size 18, maternity clothing, baby equipment, furniture, toys, books, and DVDs. These nearly new items are assessed by Boomerang’s quality check experts, and priced based on brand, product type, and condition. Items are placed for sale in the store at the same time they are photographed loaded to the Boomerang Kids online store. Sellers receive 40 percent of the purchase price on clothes and toys, and 50 percent on equipment. They can use this profit as credit towards purchasing new items in the store and online, or receive a cash return.
Boomerang Kids assists families in every stage of a child’s development. “When we sell a family’s gently used product, their account with us grows,” explains Boomerang Kids CEO Heather Meek, “they can use that account to buy the next size of clothing or a new toy for their child.”
Consignment items aren’t the only thing offered at Boomerang Kids. About 25 percent of in-store product is “factory fresh”, giving families the option of purchasing new or gently used.
Building a Community
Boomerang Kids locations offer more than just retail, they offer their communities a unique place meet and grow together. In 2007, when Meek and her partner bought the original two Boomerang Kids location, they realized how much parents and families enjoyed spending time within the store.
The duo decided to incorporate this sense of community into their retail setting. Boomerang Kids stores now offer ‘strollercise’ classes, a 1-hour fitness program for parent and baby. They also hold regular seminars for new and growing families, addressing topics like how to help a baby sleep or toddler tradition.
“It’s important to give people the opportunity to connect, especially new families who are learning about parenthood. Boomerang Kids is a place to find a great deal and connect with people of similar lifestyles,” explains Meek.
In 2004, Boomerang Kids set a Guinness World Record for largest Strollercise class. They have also received the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Business Ethics and the Charlotte Whitton award for business and community activism.
How Boomerang Kids Gives Back
Boomerang Kids donates items to their local community charities on a weekly basis. Thousands of children’s clothing and toys are given to families in need every year. Interested visitors are encouraged to visit a Boomerang Kids location to learn more about how they can get involved in these initiatives.
Boomerang Kids also supports school and non-profit fundraising initiatives. Items sold under a charity initiative receive a higher consignment percentage and marketing assistance from the Boomerang team.
Shopping from Home
One of Boomerang Kids’ newest business strategies is targeting the online shopper. As schedules grow tighter, it can be difficult to find the time to enjoy a shopping experience. This is especially true for new parents caring for a young infant.
To make purchasing more accessible for their customers, Boomerang Kids created a comprehensive website featuring product images, pricing, and shipping information on five of its locations. They plan to enhance this feature to provide product availability for other locations within the next year.
Boomerang Kids online shopping experience launched in September, 2013. In early 2014, Today’s Parent named the company as one of the top ten online consignment store in Canada – a tremendous achievement in such a short time period. Boomerang Kids continues to offer the same level of service in-store, with its online section comprising about 7 percent of total sales.
Celebrating Tremendous Success
Boomerang Kids has experienced tremendous growth over the past six years. They’ve recently began a franchise deal in Quebec with plans to open another 14 stores in the province. In Ontario, interested stakeholders are currently vying for franchising regions within Kitchener/Waterloo, Oakville/Burlington, and Mississauga/Brampton.
“Our five year plan is to operate at least 80 to 100 stores Canada wide,” says Meek, “That would include about 20 within the Golden Horseshoe area.”
The success of Boomerang Kids also inspired Meek and her partner to begin a new consignment chain directed towards women. Rikochet Resale, currently with two locations in the Ottawa area, sits next to the Boomerang Kids stores. Mothers are now able to shop for themselves and baby without having to travel. Rikochet focuses primarily on brand name women’s clothing and accessories.
Both Boomerang Kids and Rikochet Resale stores encourage sellers and buyers to experience a new way of shopping. Their dedicated team of sales associates and product assessment experts look forward to your visit!
