Back-to-School Shopping Without Straining Your Budget

Avoid high prices at the mall – shop for school clothes at Children’s Orchard.

Children’s Orchard owner Kari Hendrix and her daughter, Shayli.

Being a mom at back-to-school time can be so stressful. You want your children to be able to wear high-quality, name brand clothing, but fitting the name brand clothing price tag into your already stretched budget can be challenging. Most moms will tell you that where there is a will, there is a way, and that is how one savvy local woman turned her passion for a bargain into a thriving business.

    Kari Hendrix, owner of Children’s Orchard, located at 12307 E. 96th St. N. in Owasso, knew she was on to something when she discovered a way to shop and get the items she needed, but without paying high prices. “When I first became pregnant, I received a lot of clothing and other baby items which seemed to be outgrown almost before they had a chance to be worn,” Kari laughs. “So, I heard about Children’s Orchard and began bringing in all my items that Shayli had outgrown. They bought them from me and gave me the opportunity to apply the money earned from these items back into a store credit. And they gave me an additional 25 percent credit for doing it that way.”

    That was all it took. Kari was sold on the concept and thrilled that she didn’t have to spend a big chunk of her family’s budget on children’s clothing. When she found out that the store was available to purchase, she jumped at the opportunity. That was two and a half years ago, and she is thrilled to be able to provide this service to moms and dads everywhere. The store, located next to Dollar Tree in the Owasso Market Shopping Center, has been a fixture in the community for 13-and-a-half  years.

    Educating customers on how to make the store “Buy Back” policy work for them is Kari’s passion. “Our buying philosophy is very easy. Customers can bring in two average sized plastic grocery bags full of clothing, books, toys, or a couple pieces of equipment. And we promise to serve them in 20 minutes or less. They will know what dollar amount they can receive from their items and can then decide if they want cash or store credit,” she explains. At that point, the customer can choose store credit and receive an additional 25 percent value for their items, or they can receive cash on the spot.  

    Walk-in buying takes place Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those who have a larger amount of items to sell can simply call ahead and schedule an appointment time.

    Kari makes it an extremely easy process too. Clothing needs to be brought in pre-laundered and in good condition. She points out that in a typical “buy” from a client, they will not usually accept all of the items they bring in, and if customers know to expect that, there are no surprises. “I have many clients who begin shopping with us when their children are newborns and they continue until their child reaches 10 years of age. Once you learn how to leverage your dollars and be able to find quality clothing at a lower cost than department stores, it is easy to get hooked.”

    Children’s Orchard also offers some items which are brand new, but still keep with the lower price tag her customers crave. Boutique items such as hair bows, sunglasses, dance leotards, jewelry and more are all current, hot fashion items but still reasonably priced.

    August will include many back-to-school sales including all the latest top brands at a fraction of retail prices. Just a few of the brands will be Gap, Gymboree, Justice, Ralph Lauren and more.     The first weekend in August will be their big “Jean Event.” As you might have guessed, this is the time to stock up and sell name brand jeans. As an added bonus, that will be Oklahoma’s Tax-Free Weekend, so the savings are even greater.

    Kari and her staff have so many fun events scheduled in the next few months that the best way to be “in the know” is to sign up to receive emails from the store. “We send out email specials that are specific to our Owasso store only, so we are able to really target our audience.” Those that enjoy being the first to know about every great sale can now sign up to receive text messages from Children’s Orchard. Soon the location will have the numbers needed to begin the text program and when you come in and sign up, it puts you even closer to learning the latest news before everyone else.

    Don’t wait another day to begin earning money while you are shopping! Stop by Children’s Orchard today. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. 

For more information, contact

Children’s Orchard

12307 E. 96th St. N.
Owasso, OK 74055
(918) 272-8965