Plato's Closet

North America's #1 Teen/Young Adult Resale Franchise

Plato's Closet is a retail-resale brand aimed directly at one of the marketplace's most demanding and discerning demographics: teens and twenty-somethings.

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Plato's Closet
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Plato's Closet Franchise Cost and Requirements for 2024

Background

Steps to Ownership
Building a Powerful Retail-Resale Franchise Opportunity

As the biggest and most prominent retail-resale franchisor in North America, Winmark? knows what it takes to build a successful franchise business. Over the last three decades, we've learned that finding the right individuals to partner with and represent our brands is essential to marketplace success-no matter what territory they're in. That is why we've created a thorough and illuminating qualification process to get to know our franchisee candidates and give them the opportunity to get to know us.

Qualifying Our Candidates
If you're interested in becoming a Winmark franchise candidate, then the first step is submitting the qualification form. This will cover basic information about yourself and where you'd like to open a Plato's Closet location. After that form is submitted, our team will get back to you immediately to review your financial qualifications and to answer any initial questions you may have as we start the process.

The financial qualifications for our Plato's Closet franchisees include:

  • Investment of approximately $250,000
  • Cash or liquid assets of at least $75,000


If you do not have these assets, it does not necessarily disqualify you. Many of our franchisees take out loans to provide the required capital for their store or partner with family or friends to help them qualify. Because of Winmark's remarkable track record and industry reputation, our brands have a successful track record and history of getting funded by the banks and SBA.

Meet Our Franchisees & Discovery Day
After your finances have been confirmed, we'll help you coordinate meetings with current Plato's Closet franchisees. You'll visit their stores, see how they operate and, most importantly, speak with them about their experience running the business.

After your visits are complete, you'll receive an invite to Discovery Day at our headquarters here in Minneapolis. Here, you'll meet with our Plato's Closet franchise team and learn what we do to support our franchisees and ensure they are always positioned for success. We'll also ask you questions about your background and aspirations-and you'll have the opportunity to interview us, as well, and learn about Winmark and our brands.

Joining Our Team!
After both you and Winmark have decided to move forward with this franchise opportunity, you officially become a member of the Plato's Closet team! We'll get the franchise agreement sent to you promptly and enroll you in our training program. This whole process will take several months before we get to the actual opening of your store but, in that window, you will receive the instruction and tools you need to make your Plato's Closet location a success.

Company Details

Established: 1999
First Unit Franchised: 1999
Franchised Units: 483
Company Owned Units: 0
States Registered In: All
Canada Franchises: Yes
International Franchises: No

Support and Training Offered By Plato's Closet

Financial Assistance Provided: Not internally 
Site Selection Assistance: No
Lease Negotiation Assistance: No
Recruiting Assistance: NA
Co-Operative Advertising: Yes

Training: Winmark conducts its 2-part training program at Winmark's training center in Minneapolis. The training program is typically offered 11 times per year. The first session of the training program, New Franchisee Orientation Training (NFOT), covers several aspects of management and operation of a franchised retail business, including real estate matters, business plan development, buying used and new products, Winmark's service vendor program and other topics Winmark may select.

The first session will take place over a period of 5 days. At NFOT, you will be required to participate in an online financial management course conducted by Winmark's third party vendor. This course will educate you on how to understand your financial statements and utilize the information to build your business.

The second session of the Plato's Closet? training program, Concept Training, is attended when financing, lease and the online financial training program are complete. It is conducted over a period of at least 5 days and will include instruction on sales, customer service, marketing, advertising, computer operation and store inventory, staff and financial management, as well as topics Winmark may select.

High profit, High Margin business.
Top Quartile average gross sales $1,621,916 (2019)
Top Quartile average gross profit $1,005,675 (2019)

Average Gross Sales Chart: 

  • 2002 - $522,931
  • 2006 - $587,145
  • 2010 - $858,716
  • 2014 - $1,006,564
  • 2019 - $1,093,448

100% franchisee driven 

3,000-4,000 square feet 


An extensive training program to prepare you for the business ownership
Our willingness to work with first-time franchisees and family teams
Ongoing operations and marketing support from our dedicated franchise team
A critical and enticing niche inside the retail marketplace
Powerful POS system and online cloud platform to assist you with pricing and reporting
A robust corporate infrastructure that is ready to support the needs of our franchisees


*The Average Store numbers are the 2019 Average Gross Sales and Average Gross Profit amounts stated in Item 19 of the 2020 Music Go Round? Franchise Disclosure Document (as reported by the 33 stores that had been in operation at least one year as of December 28, 2019). Of the 33 reporting stores, 15 or 45% of the stores attained or exceeded the Average Gross Sales and 14 or 42% of the stores attained or exceeded the Average Gross Profit. The Top Quartile Average Gross Sales and Average Gross Profit only relates to 8 of the reporting Music Go Round? Stores who ranked in the top 25% of the gross sales range. Of the 8 reporting stores in the top quartile, 3 or 38% of the stores attained or exceeded the top quartile Average Gross Sales and 4 or 50% of the stores attained or exceeded the top quartile Average Gross Profit. A new franchisee's results will likely differ from these results.


2024 Franchise Requirements Needed to Own a Plato's Closet Franchise.

What does a Plato's Closet Franchise Cost?

Plato's Closet franchise fees for 2024:

Cash Investment: $90,000-105,000
Total Investment: $250,700-$389,600
Minimum Net Worth: $400,000
Franchise Fee: $ 25,000
Royalty: 5%
Ad: 0%
Average Number of Employees:
Item 19: Yes
visa-candidates: No
Passive Ownership: No
Home Based: No
B2B: No
Master Franchise Opportunities: No
Veteran Discount No

Is Plato's Closet a Semi Absentee Franchise with a Passive Ownership Opportunity?

No. Plato's Closet is not a semi absentee franchise. The owner of the franchise (the franchisee) is expected to be involved in all aspects of day-to-day operations.

Is Plato's Closet a Home Based franchise?

No. Plato's Closet is not a home based franchise opportunity.

What Do Plato's Closet Franchise Owners Make?

Click here to find out how much Plato's Closet franchisees make. Plato's Closet offers an Item 19 in their Franchise Disclosure Document which provides financial information about select franchisees in their franchise system.

Is Plato's Closet a Master Franchise Opportunity?

No. Plato's Closet is not a master franchise opportunity.

Does Plato's Closet Offer a Veteran Discount?

No. Plato's Closet franchise does not offer a veteran discount.

Does Plato's Closet Work with E2 Visa and EB-5 Visa Candidates?

No. Plato's Closet franchise does not work with E2 Visa and EB-5 Visa candidates.

Is Plato's Closet Looking for Franchisees in Canada?

Yes. Plato's Closet franchise is looking for Canada franchisees.

Is Plato's Closet Looking for International franchisees?

No. Plato's Closet franchise is not looking for International franchisees.

Where can I see Plato's Closet's FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document)?

Buying a Franchise Guide: What is a Franchise Disclosure Document?

When evaluating a franchise opportunity, reading and understanding the current version of their FDD is a necessity. Considering the benefits of franchising, such as established brand recognition and support from the franchisor, it's important to also take into account franchise fees and franchising royalty fees. Since most franchisors are privately owned companies, the current versions of their FDDs are typically not available unless requested directly from them.

Click here to connect with a Franchise Consultant who can help you obtain a copy quickly and for free. They can also guide you through the essential franchise questions to ask, ensuring you make a well-informed decision about your investment.

Additional Information

Additional Categories

Child Related, Green & Eco Friendly, Miscellaneous & Unique, Retail, Non Food Franchises

Number of Units Open

100+ UNITS

Cash Required

More than $250,000

Master Franchise

No

Passive Franchise

No

Home Based Franchise

No

Item 19 Franchise

Yes

Veteran Discount

No

B2B

No

Franchise Opportunities in Canada

Yes

International Franchise Opportunities

No

E2 Visa Franchise

No

Plato's Closet Franchises for Sale

Click Here to inquire about existing Plato's Closet franchises for sale. We may have Plato's Closet franchise resales. A franchise resale is an already established franchise owned by a franchisee and the franchisee is looking to sell their franchise.

The International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG) is an internationally recognized membership-based franchise organization. IFPG Franchise Consultants guide aspiring business owners through the process of identifying and investing in franchise businesses. The IFPG represents more than 550 franchises. We do not represent all franchises listed here. By clicking on "Request a Consultation," you are agreeing to be contacted by one of our Certified Franchise Consultants to discuss franchise ownership.

About our rankings: The IFPG uses its internal data collected from our membership portal to identify which franchises had the most activity in the past week. This ranking system is not based on franchise sales, franchisee success rates or number of units open. Our ranking system should not be used to make a decision on which franchise to buy it was solely created for internal purposes and for our IFPG Members.