Brett Heffes

Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Winmark Corporation

Search every verified Brett Heffes interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Brett Heffes, Chair and CEO of Winmark, discussed the company’s resale business model and sustainability efforts in recent appearances. In an October 2022 interview on Nasdaq’s #TradeTalks, he described Winmark as operating a network of 1,300 locally owned buying centers across North America under brands such as Plato’s Closet, Once Upon a Child, and Play It Again Sports. He noted that the company recycled or extended the lives of 158 million units in the prior year and added a website ticker tracking items kept out of landfills since 2010, which he said had surpassed 1.4 billion. Heffes also stated that the company’s focus on value and buying directly from consumers had served it well during tough economic times. In an April 2024 episode of the Business Breakdowns podcast, Heffes elaborated on Winmark’s franchising model, emphasizing that franchisees pay a continuing fee based on weekly sales and that the company’s success is tied to franchisee performance. He cited the franchise renewal rate as the company’s most important metric, reporting that Winmark renewed 176 of 177 agreements in the prior year, a 99.4% rate, and 622 of 627 over five years. He also discussed the company’s growth strategy, which he said involves focusing on supporting existing stores and adding new locations, and he credited mentorship and handwritten notes as meaningful in building professional relationships.