How To Start A School Store
Are you looking for a way to raise money for your classroom while teaching students valuable life skills? A school store. Consider starting a school store! When you give kids the opportunity to shop for themselves, they gain hands-on learning in math, communication, and responsibility. Plus, think of how much fun they’ll have using their new trinkets and showing them off to their friends!
Don’t worry, teachers – starting a school store is simpler than you might think. We make it easy with only four steps from beginning to end!
Starting a School Store or School Holiday Shop
Whether it’s the regular school year or the holiday season, a school store can cater to all occasions. Throughout the year, you can stock everyday school supplies, small toys and accessories, decor, arts & crafts, and more. As the calendar year draws to a close, consider setting up a school holiday shop, offering gifts for parents and friends and holiday-themed items that students will love.
No matter when or what type of items you want to offer students, you can set up your school store in a flash! Here’s how:
Step 1: Sign Up for Lil’ Shoppers Shop
To sign up, select the dates you’d like to run your school store. Most schools run their stores for three to five days.
Then, choose the profit you’d like to make from each sale – 0%, 10%, or 20% – to set item pricing. You can use profits as funds for classroom supplies, charitable donations, or any school-related activities!
You don’t have to pay when you sign up. All merchandise is on consignment, so you only pay for what you sell and return the rest.
Step 2: Receive Your Chairperson Kit
Four weeks before your school store opens, you’ll receive a box with everything you need to promote your shop. The kit includes full-color parent letters, budget envelopes, posters, a how-to manual, and instructions for accessing the user-friendly Chairperson Portal.
On the Chairperson Portal, you can choose your starting inventory, keep track of sales, place new orders, organize invoices, and access support materials.
Step 3: Receive Your Merchandise
After you finalize your starting inventory, you’ll receive the merchandise quickly. All orders include free UPS Next Day air delivery, so you can get started immediately!
Along with your school store inventory, you’ll also receive pre-priced tent cards, tablecloths, self-sealing gift bags, and other supplies for success. You can use the Cash Register App for fast and easy checkout or run the store as cash-only. It’s up to you!
When choosing how to accept payments, consider if and how you want students to be involved. Running the store as cash only could be a practical way to teach kids about the value of money!
Step 4: Return Excess Inventory
When your school holiday shop or school store closes, you can just put excess inventory into a box, attach the prepaid UPS return label, and send it off. No need to count inventory – just keep track of your daily cash sales!
The Chairperson portal will have an invoice that reflects what your store owes for sales made through the Cash Register App. Add your cash sales manually, then pay for the cost of merchandise online. If you choose to make a profit when you sign up, the remaining cash is for your class or school to keep!
Start Your School Store Today
From now until July 4th, you will receive a FREE carnival kit filled with gifts for your events, treasure chest, or children in need ($300 value), plus $200 in school store vouchers for students OR an additional 5% on your profits. Visit Holiday Shop to sign up today!
