Once Upon A Child^®, the leading children’s clothing and accessories retail resale concept, announced the grand opening of its new location in Panama City, located at 640 W 23rd St. The brand is known for its affordable, gently used children’s clothes, shoes, toys, equipment and more, and provides local parents with a place that not only puts cash back into their pockets, but sells gently used brand name clothing and accessories for less.

With a focus on being a sustainable shopping resource for local families, the new Once Upon A Child in Panama City opens on May 2. Once Upon A Child is part of Winmark - the Resale Company®, a unique national retail resale franchise that focuses on sustainability, small business formation and providing Resale for Everyone®.

Beginning May 2 and throughout the weekend, local owner Jessica Franklin are inviting guests to stop in to experience the following:

• All Day – Thursday, May 2 – Sunday, May 5: Extra FiveStar Rewards Points will be awarded for anyone who goes bagless, brings a reuseable bag, or buys equipment. Winners for our gift card contest for Instagram, Facebook and email sign up will be announced during Grand Opening weekend. Each lucky winner will need to pick up their $50 gift card during our grand opening weekend. Sign up while you can!

• Thursday, May 2: We will have a cotton candy machine set up by a local of ours, Amanda Productions, from 10am-1pm. First 50 customers will get a 10% discount to be used on their next visit. The first 50 customers to spend $50 of more, they will get a reusable tote bag filled with goodies!

• Friday, May 3: Party with Sunny 98.5 WFSY-FM! They are bringing the party to us and running giveaways from 12-2pm. We will have our very own local, Amanda Productions, creating amazing balloon art from 5-7pm.

• Saturday, May 4: Amanda Productions will be back from 12-2pm doing face painting for the kiddos!

• Sunday, May 5: We call it double points Sunday with our five stars rewards program. Everyone gets double points for shopping on Sunday! We will also have Amanda Productions back for our final day doing waterproof airbrush tattoos from 12-2pm! You don’t want to miss out on that!

Once Upon A Child’s unique retail resale concept allows for clothing, toys and accessories for kids to end up in someone else’s house rather than thrown into a landfill, providing a resource for new or existing parents who are looking to update their children’s closet on a budget and in a mindful environmental manner.

Fueled by a lifelong dream of retail ownership and armed with a business degree, Jessica Franklin, a former mechanic with a passion for retail, is thrilled to bring a brand-new Once Upon A Child location to Panama City. The idea came about after relocating to the city from Alabama in 2016. Recognizing a need for affordable children's supplies and clothing, particularly in the post-hurricane environment, Franklin saw an opportunity to fulfill her desire to serve the community with a store concept she loved back in Alabama. This move not only bridges her love for retail, but also allows her to give back to the community she now calls home.

"Relocating to Panama City in 2016, I saw a clear gap in the market for trendy, affordable clothing and toy options for kids," says Franklin. "Having loved the Winmark concept as a customer in Alabama, I knew it would be a perfect fit for this community, especially after the hurricane."

Unlike a typical consignment store, Once Upon A Child does not require appointments and pays on the spot for items it purchases from consumers. At Once Upon A Child, families are able to buy necessities for their children at great values, and turn their gently used items into cash.

In addition, Once Upon A Child ensures that all products purchased and sold meet mandatory and voluntary safety standards. Staff members stay up-to-date on current recalled items, immediately pulling all recalled products from shelves and making sure all items purchased are safety-checked to meet current standards.

For questions on the buying process or store hours, the new Once Upon A Child can be reached at (850) 215-3500 or https://www.onceuponachild.com/locations/panama-city-fl.