Children's Orchard Expands Into Tucson

Children's Orchard, (CO), Franchise retailer of upscale kids' resale clothes, toys and equipment based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, announced that it is expanding into Tucson. franchise owners, Patricia and Robert Kittrell, Oro Valley, expect a fall opening. In order to stock the store before opening, the Kittrell's are targeting parents to sell their quality outgrown kids' items for cash. The store is located at Plaza Escondida, 79 N. Orcale Rd.

Area parents can make an appointment to sell their children's quality outgrown items. Useable items that don't meet quality standards are donated to non-profit, Casa de los Ninos, an alternative home for abused and neglected children. Parents receive a tax receipt for their donations.

The company and its franchisees also sponsor the Interstate Program of the Family Builders Adoption Network, (FBAN). The program facilitates interstate adoptions of abused, neglected and special needs children throughout the U.S. (See www.childorch.com).

The Kittrell's recently relocated to Tucson from Newton, Massachusetts. They left established careers in Massachusetts to be near family and open a Children's Orchard store.

Mrs. Kittrell is a former Pediatric Nurse at Children's Hospital in Boston. She will run the day-to-day operation of the store with husband, Robert and help from their daughter, Kelly. Mr. Kittrell also runs Leadership Solutions, a business consulting practice that puts non-competing business executives into small peer groups to facilitate problem solving and planning.

Children's Orchard is an upscale kids' resale franchise specializing in quality "gently used" clothes, toys and equipment at 50-80% lss than retail. New items are also sold.

The Tucson Children's Orchard will be the second Arizona store to open within three months. A Phoenix store opened this past August. Headquartered in Ann Arbor Michigan, Children's Orchard is the original franchisor of upscale kid's resale/retail stores with over 100 stores in the U.S.