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School Holiday Shop Planning Guide

School Holiday Shop vs. Buying Products Locally

(Click to Print – for Board Meeting Discussion)

Through our extensive discussions and business relationships with schools we learned one important fact – self funded holiday shops are very difficult to manage, have hidden costs and don’t provide you with the selling and marketing materials necessary to make your shop a success.  We strongly urge you to choose a reputable school holiday shop vendor as apposed to trying to buy all the products, etc yourself. 

Free Holiday Shop Request Kit - Click Here

Drawbacks of self-funded holiday shops:

• You will be stuck with what you don’t sell – but all our merchandise is on consignment
• You will pay shipping when you buy your products up front – no shipping charges with us
• You will pay shipping when you place re-orders – not with us.
• You will not have selling and marketing materials; such as bags, tablecloths, posters, envelopes, etc – you get all that and more from us.
• You will probably have a huge paperwork load – but not with us
• You will be wind up making numerous runs to local 99¢ cent stores to re-stock – need more goods, call us
• Most 99¢ stores don’t carry customized items – we do.

Proper Planning for your Holiday Shop is Critical

School holiday shop planning is extremely important – like the adage goes “Good planning prevents poor Performance”.  If you need assistance or have questions on “best practices” please call our office at 1-800-645-6550. And, we understand the issues related to running a holiday gift shop, or school santa shop - we will guide you through all the steps..!

Best Practices for Planning your Holiday Shop

• Decide how much merchandise you think you’ll need
• Get proper approval from decision maker
• Plan your dates ahead of time
• Reserve your space; room, auditorium, etc
• Line up some reliable volunteers
• Open boxes upon delivery – confirm inventory
• Group your opened merchandise properly
• Decide if you are marking up your merchandise, and if so, by how much
• Allow one extra day for snow day or other delays
• Set up a “Preview Day”, for students to browse what they want to buy
• Make sure you have enough change on hand for transactions

Keys to Running a Successful Holiday Boutique

The success of your holiday shop is, in part, based on your decision on what vendor you choose – make sure your supplier provides you with all the selling materials and customer support to make your shop a success – and remember, you have to take part in that process as well – but picking the right supplier will make all the difference.

Make your Holiday Shop a Real Success

• Volunteer and sponsor commitment is key to a successful holiday shop – be hands on
• Distribute parent letters to the children according to your schedule
• Place shop posters in high visibility areas
• Mark all tables properly for ease of shopping
• Take advantage of the support materials, such as:
  • Tablecloths – help create a festive mood
  • Gift Bags – makes it easy for the kids
  • Shopper budget envelopes – urge parents to fill them out, especially for younger students
• Display all products – don’t pre-judge what you think will sell – kids are fickle – and you would be surprised at how much money their parents gave them to spend
• Creative a festive mood.  Play holiday music – have some volunteers wear Santa hats – have fun and enjoy...and remember it’s all for the kids.

Customer Support from your Holiday Shop Vendor

Choosing the right supplier for your holiday shop is critical - it is the first and most important step once you decide to run a program.  Here at SchoolHolidayShop.com we offer a full compliment of trained customer service people to handle any and all of your inquiries.

The Right Vendor Makes all the Difference – Make the Right Choice

• We have been servicing school accounts since 1965
• Our offices are open 9-5 Monday through Friday (E.S.T.) – always a live person
• All staff call in for their messages if they are out or if we are closed for some reason
• We check our email’s remotely – so send us a message, we’ll answer it promptly
• All of our staff are well trained on questions about holiday shop sales

Questions & Answers Regarding Running a Holiday Shop

If you or your school is new to running a school holiday shop then you probably have questions – most people do.  If you are new to working with the OfficialSchoolHolidayShop.com Company then you might have questions as well.  If so, we have answers.  Regardless of what vendor you choose make sure they have a platform for answering your questions or concerns.

Make Sure your Vendor has Answers

Q. How long has the company you are considering been servicing schools with gift products?
A. For SchoolHolidayShop.com (Tracy Hamilton Inc.) it has been since 1965.

Q. Does your holiday shop vendor offer a “Product Re-Order Guarantee?”
A. SchoolHolidayShop.com does – and based on your sale and product needs, we will ship re-orders received by 2:00 EST.

Q. Does your vendor offer a “Product Wishes IOU” program?
A. If there is child, who is on the line shopping, and he sees an item he wants, but another child buys the “last one” right before him, we’ll guarantee you another one or we’ll send you $5.00.

Q. Can our school request specific items for our school holiday shop?
A.  Yes, we, often times, are able to accommodate special product requests – please inquire.

Q. Can we view all of your items and pricing online?
A. Yes, simply go to: http://schoolholidayshop.com/holiday-products.htm

Q. Are the products from your supplier really on consignment – can we send back what we don’t sell?
A. You pay for nothing up front from us – you send back what’s left, no hidden charges or fees.

Q. Can we mark up the products; so the shop is like a fundraiser too?
A. Yes, you can.  You can mark it up as much as you like – some schools mark it up 10-15%.

Q. Does your vendor have enough product liability insurance?
A. Make sure they do, we have over $2,000,000 in insurance. 

Q. Does your vendor have a toll free number to call any time?
A. Here at the SchoolHolidayShop.com Company you can call toll free anytime.  (1-800-645-6550)

SchoolHolidayShop.com vs. Competition

There are a number of companies that offer holiday shops, some that offer good services – and many more that do not.  So, we urge you to shop and compare – it’s the prudent thing to do.  We hope you choose a company with vast experience, a company in business since 1965.  SchoolHolidayShop.com

"Use this Holiday Shop Guide to Decide"