Milk Money of Cranford has made quite a name for itself around town.  This high quality children’s consignment store stocks well-known brands c including Gap, Gymboree, Ralph Lauren, Hanna Anderson, Mini Boden and many more.  Milk Money is a franchise with half a dozen stores around the New Jersey area.

Margaret Sacco explains how she ended up owning and operating the Cranford franchise.  “I stumbled into Milk Money. A girlfriend of mine went to a baby shower and all of the moms were raving about how great Milk Money was. She went to the Cranford store to see about getting a franchise and was told the Cranford owners were selling. She asked me to partner with her since I had retail experience. But then she had to back out when she couldn’t afford to give up her job’s benefits, so I decided to do it alone.  I bought the store in 2009. It’s a franchise with 6 stores total, all owned/operated by moms who wanted to return to work, but in a job that allowed some flexibility (no nights or holidays, etc).”

Margaret lives in Westfield with her husband Henry and her teenage children, Hank and Grace.  She says, “I love Cranford because of its family friendly atmosphere and abundance of “Mom and Pop” shops. Chain stores just can’t give the level of customer service and welcoming feeling of a small independently owned business.  Even though I live in Westfield, I shop in the stores and dine in the restaurants in Cranford much more often than in Westfield.”

Margaret graduated Fordham University, worked as a store manager at a Walgreens in New York for a few years,  then went back to school to get an Interior Design degree at FIT. She worked in the field for a few years, but never really loved it. So when the Milk Money opportunity came along, it seemed like a perfect opportunity.  “I get all of the benefits of retail – personal interaction with customers, fun of merchandising, and a sense of accomplishment –  without the horrific hours of a retail drug store.      Because nearly everyone who shops here has a child or grandchild, I automatically have something in common with them, so it is easy to connect with people. We try to make our customers feel welcome and like they are part of our Milk Money community.  I especially love when people send pictures of their kids in an outfit, or playing with a toy, that they got here.”

Milk Money provides a play area for the kids to hang out while moms shop.   They sell high quality clothing that is in great condition in sizes from newborn – size 16, shoes, toys, strollers, an lots of other child items.     They post items regularly on Instagram (milkmoneycranford) and on https://www.facebook.com/search/str/Milk%20Money%20Cranford/keywords_top .     But the best way to see what they have to offer is to stop into the store at 2 South Avenue West and see for yourself!