Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid Offer an Elevated Experience in Resale Fashion
With a boutique feel and vibrant in-store experience, Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid are redefining thrifting, a concept they call “thrift, reimagined.” Both brands, which are part of parent company BaseCamp Franchising, are upending general expectations about resale stores and are rapidly gaining loyalty with millions of customers nationwide.
“Even the most avid thrift enthusiasts have been trained to accept trade-offs when they shop secondhand. While customers flock to resale for the deep value, the thrill of the hunt, and the alignment with sustainability, to name a few reasons, more often than not they accept that the shopping experience isn’t great,” says Tyler Gordon (below, right), who is co-CEO of BaseCamp with his brother, Zach Gordon (left). “Even today, most people would use words like ‘dusty’ or ‘disorganized’ to describe traditional thrift. With our model, customers get all the benefits of traditional thrift, but in an upscale, vibrant shopping environment.”
BaseCamp’s leadership also takes a franchisee-first approach, emphasizing the success of their franchise owners above all else. While many franchise systems will focus on their location count, BaseCamp would prefer to take a more measured approach to growth to maintain a high-quality standard across its two systems.
“The health of a franchise system is defined not by its size but by the success and satisfaction of its owners,” says Zach Gordon. “That’s why we invest heavily in in-store support, training, and technology — and why we celebrate strong store economics above rapid expansion. We believe that franchisee success drives system growth, not the other way around. That mindset has led to outstanding unit-level performance and franchisee retention, which in turn position Uptown and Kid to Kid to become brand names nationwide and beyond.”
A Commitment to Customer Satisfaction
Tyler and Zach Gordon joined BaseCamp in 2022, 30 years after Shauna and Brent Sloan founded Kid to Kid to create a more elevated resale experience for families. The Gordon brothers’ professional backgrounds, which include experiences in finance, investing, operations, and global franchising, helped them develop a framework for creating long-term value, namely by setting priorities based on impact. “In the context of franchising, nothing drives sustainable growth more than franchisee profitability and satisfaction, so every decision is anchored in what helps our franchise owners succeed,” says Tyler Gordon.
The company’s commitment to supporting its franchise owners is reflected in high satisfaction scores from franchisees. Zach Gordon (above) attributes the high scores to a combination of factors. “First, our unit economics are some of the best in franchising. Second, over the past 30-plus years, we’ve built robust onboarding, training, marketing, and technology systems that set owners up for success,” Zach mentioned. “Finally, we prioritize transparency and collaboration — ensuring we have complete alignment with our franchise owners. Across all three dimensions, we’re never satisfied with where we are, and instead focus on continuous innovation to push our brands forward.”
BaseCamp’s leadership has worked to cultivate a strong, collaborative culture throughout the company, with franchisees involved as significant and active participants. Tyler Gordon says that the BaseCamp team stays relentlessly focused on improvement and aims to be approachable, transparent and mission-driven. BaseCamp looks for similar characteristics in franchise owners, also focusing on determination and a commitment to customer service.
The Gordons follow a hands-on philosophy, which manifests in their active engagement in management rather than running BaseCamp from a corner office. “Whether we’re at our corporate office in Salt Lake City or at one of our stores nationwide, we think it’s critically important to lead by example and maintain a ‘no-task-is-too-small’ mindset,” Zach Gordon says. “We feel that leadership style builds trust, which in turn drives performance.”
Appealing to Gen Zers and Millennials
While expansion is not the company’s top goal, consumers are increasingly demanding choices for apparel that are more environmentally friendly, with Gen Z and Millennial shoppers in particular seeking out resale options for clothing. That demand, coupled with the company’s recession-resistant, tariff-proof business model is propelling robust growth for both of BaseCamp’s brands. Together, Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid have more than 270 stores in operation and more than 50 locations in development.
Globally, the resale market for apparel and footwear was estimated at $227 billion in 2024, according to Statista, as more consumers turned to thrift shopping as a way to save money and keep clothing out of landfills. In addition, the global market value is expected to increase to nearly $370 billion by 2027.
“We’re incredibly optimistic about the future for Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid,” Tyler Gordon says. “Our vision is bold: We want to make Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid household names, not just in resale, but in retail more broadly. We’re here to change how Americans shop — and do so alongside an amazing community of franchise owners.”
For more information about BaseCamp Brands and the Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid franchises, visit their websites.
