Essential Questions for Planning an In-School Holiday Store

Many schools utilize “in-school Santa shops” as a means of hosting a fundraiser and also providing an enjoyable experience for the students at the same time.  These holiday shops provide a time for kids to learn valuable lessons in purchasing including budgeting, organizing lists, and more!  With multiple options available to host your in-school shop, here are some questions to answer when choosing your provider:

Will I need volunteers?

More often than not, you’re going to need help.  There is a lot to planning, executing and finishing an in-school holiday shop, and you’re not going to want to do it all alone.  Consider the tasks involved for each phase of the holiday store and estimate how many people you will need assistance from.  Remember that while the shop is actually running, you will need more than one volunteer to help at the same time for things like checking-out and taking money, stocking items, helping students, gift wrapping, etc.

What is the setup and teardown process like?

Not all holiday stores are created equal, and the setup/teardown process is one of the main differentiators between providers.  Will there be any assembly?  What will need to be sent back once the in-school shop is complete?  How will extra inventory, damaged products and other returns be handled?

What products will be for sale?

There is a middle ground for your holiday shop in terms of balancing quality and price of the items available for sale in your shop.  You don’t want cheap items that are easily broken or even worse, not desirable; however, you don’t want your students to feel like they can’t afford the items available for sale.  See if your shop provider has a list of item descriptions and pricing available.

With so many options to host your in-school shop, take the extra time to vet the company you choose—it can save you from dealing with unnecessary headaches in the end!

With My Holiday Fair, we provide an easy way for your school to simply “pop the top and shop.”  Simply contact us and we will answer all the questions you have!