Town Pride, a wholesale brand, known for its products that feature local love in the form of curated name-drop collections since 2021, is expanding into retail in a big way. Coming off the heels of its flagship store in Yarmouth, Maine, opening last November, the women-owned, made-in-the-USA brand is now offering franchise territories.
The franchising opportunity — already gaining traction with claimed territories — culminating with a flagship shop offers an opportunity to experience consumer behavior and better understand the retail side of the business, says Founder Tamara Moran.
“We moved forward with a retail store because we have had so many consumers reaching out to us for products, and we were only wholesale,” explains Moran.
A growing market for “local love town pride and school spirit” and Town Pride’s franchise opportunities will give communities an avenue for dedicated namedrop shops, according to Moran.
“Traditionally, retailers will have a small section of local love in their stores,” she says. “Those are our wholesale customers. With the flagship store in Yarmouth and future franchises, customers can find a whole store of local love.”
Since the Yarmouth Town Pride flagship opened November 2023, inventory has expanded to include products touting nearby communities, given its location next to a grocer that draws customers from throughout the region.
Locals and visitors alike appreciate the growing selection of clothing, décor, serveware, accessories — and hot-selling baby onesies emblazoned with high school team names, along with children’s apparel. Moran says, “You can’t get these items from an online booster group that only sells T-shirts and hoodies.”
Presentation, alone, leaves visitors in awe.
“It’s the biggest selection of high-school and local love gear customers have ever seen, from stadium chairs to note cards, suncatchers, keychains — items you can’t find anywhere else,” says Moran.
An integral part of Town Pride that will carry on in future franchises is its authentic celebration of all things local, from nonprofits and schools to helping organizations.
“Giving back to organizations in the towns we serve is a super important part of our business,” Moran says. “Franchising is a way to really extend that to any town across the country.”
Town Pride is recognized as a verified sustainable brand by The Social Good Medal Rating by Hey Social Good, which cross-checks a company’s positive impacts with the United Nations 17 Sustainability Goals. Also, the company recently launched an initiative tied to its babies’ and kids’ knits, allotting a portion of every sale to benefit relief for ending childhood food insecurity in the United States. The effort includes hang-ties for every retail item in the flagship, future franchises and wholesale orders.
Following a successful flagship opening, social good accolades and franchising opportunities coming on board, Moran says she is most excited about spreading the local love and celebrating community across the country.
“A big part of Town Pride’s wholesale brand is our giving back and sustainability, and it’s really important to us to carry through our flagship and franchises,” she says.
