Retailer to open first Illinois store in Fairview Heights this summer
Fairview Heights is getting a new retailer this year, and it will be the brand’s first location in Illinois.
Uptown Cheapskate will offer gently used clothing, shoes and purses at 10 Lincoln Trail, the former Skechers Warehouse Outlet and, in recent years, the seasonal site of Spirit Halloween.
Mark Byham, who owns the franchise location with wife Laurie Byham, hopes they’ll be ready to open around back-to-school shopping time.
The store will have clothing similar to what’s available at the mall, Mark said, but at discounted prices because they’re used. Brands featured on the website include well-known names from Adidas to ZARA, with big names like Coach, Hilfiger, Lululemon and Nike in between.
A goal for their store is to “bridge that gap between a standard thrift store and a boutique,” he said.
Coming home for a new chapter
Mark retired from the U.S. Navy in late December. The Byhams decided to move to the metro-east, where Laurie is from, with their daughter, Haley. They reside in Collinsville.
Laurie, a graduate of O’Fallon Township High School, “followed me for 25 years,” Mark said. It was time he followed her.
Prior to retirement, Mark spent time figuring out what he would do after leaving the Navy. He made contact with Vetrepreneur, an organization that connects military veterans, spouses and patriots with franchises to help them become business owners.
The organization was a middleman that paired them with businesses that aligned with their goals, skills and lifestyles, he said.
After the Byhams were introduced to different businesses, they planned to go with Kid to Kid, a sister company to Uptown Cheapskate.
Haley, who loves to thrift, saw Uptown Cheapskate and said they should look at that business instead.
The Byhams visited the Salt Lake City location, and Mark found the owners to be “amazing, hands-on, straightforward, and helpful.”
Over the last year, they spoke to different store owners, some of whom have multiple locations. Mark is from Pennsylvania, and from there, the family visited multiple Uptown Cheapskate stores on the way to Illinois.
The owners all seemed to know each other. It’s like a community or family that keeps in touch with each other, sort of how the Navy is, Mark said.
Laurie moved back earlier than Mark, who took some leave in October to visit the Wichita store for training.
After looking at different areas in the metro-east to open their store, they decided on Fairview Heights.
The building is 7,248 square feet, 7,000 of which will make up the sales floor.
The store is still under construction, with flooring ready for installation and cabinetry ready to be assembled. Seven fitting rooms, one of them ADA-compliant, were added to the space.
The front counter will be large and spacious, allowing staff not only to ring up sales but also to efficiently review and take in items from customers for resale.
Decals cover the windows, and signage is scheduled for installation next week.
Get paid for your unwanted clothing. Here’s how it works
Inventory in Fairview Heights will depend on what people bring in to sell.
Before the store’s grand opening, Uptown Cheapskate will be open to buy, providing an opportunity for people to clean out their closets and bring in items they want to sell.
Items need to be clean and in good condition.
They should also be in style.
People can shop while staff review the items. If the items are saleable, they can be paid in cash or store credit. Items that are not saleable and no longer wanted by the original owners can be donated on their behalf, Mark said.
Uptown Cheapskate has agreements with three organizations for donations: The Salvation Army, Inside/Out Thrift Store Ministry in Belleville, and St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Fairview Heights.
Uptown Cheapskate will be open to buy around mid- or late July, Mark said.
About Uptown Cheapskate
Uptown Cheapskate is located at 10 Lincoln Trail, Suite 100, Fairview Heights.
The brand was founded in 2008 by siblings Chelsea Sloan Carroll and Scott Sloan, whose parents, Brent and Shauna Sloan, opened the first Kid to Kid store in 1992. The first Uptown Cheapskate store opened in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2009.
Both Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid are owned by parent company BaseCamp Franchising.
Uptown Cheapskate currently has more than 160 stores in 29 states with an additional 50 stores in development in the U.S. and Canada. Missouri store locations include South County, Ballwin, and St. Peters.
