In 2009, the first Uptown Cheapskate opened its doors for business in Salt Lake City, Utah, but the idea of opening a trendy resale clothing store for teens and young adults started brewing years prior. Chelsea Sloan, co-founder of Uptown Cheapskate, began thinking about starting her own resale company before she left to serve a church service mission in Anchorage, Alaska in 2006. On the day Chelsea came home from her mission, she and her brother, Scott Sloan, initiated plans for what would be known as Uptown Cheapskate.
Coming from a very entrepreneurial family, both Scott and Chelsea gained valuable experience early in life from working at their parent’s resale franchise, Kid to Kid. Founded by Brent and Shauna Sloan in 1992, Kid to Kid buys and sells new and gently used children’s clothing, toys, baby gear and maternity wear. The franchise has since grown to more than 100 Kid to Kid stores throughout the U.S. and Portugal. Kid to Kid’s successful buy-and-sell model inspired the siblings to start their own resale franchise concept for fashionable teens and young adults. With its chic vibe and upscale approach, Uptown Cheapskate was born.
The Uptown model proved viability early on, and the first franchise location was opened just a few months after the pilot store. This unique, environmentally friendly concept started receiving accolades from multiple sources. The first came by way of a third place prize for student-launched businesses in the Utah Student 25 competition in 2010.
While pursuing a Business degree at the University of Utah, Chelsea went on be listed in Inc. magazine’s 30 under 30 and became the first female to win the 2012 Entrepreneur’s Organization’s Global Student Entrepreneur Award (GSEA).
Today, Uptown Cheapskate has expanded to over 40 locations in 17 states. With its solid franchise concept and strong family roots, Uptown continues to grow, bringing great like-new fashions at cheapskate prices to people all over the country.
