This is my first year running/planning our Holiday Store. In previous years we had an "evening" store along with one open during the next day's lunch for all kids who missed the night event. The Evening store is hugely popular and we set up an area for parents to sit and chat and block their view of the "store" and "wrapping tables" so there is some privacy for the kids. If they want or need help buying or wrapping items we have volunteers to help. We don't limit the numbers of kids participating. Also, in previous years our store has purchased items from Dollar Tree, Walgreens and Oriental Trading. This year I decided to find better deals and better merchandise so I order the majority of our items from online wholesalers who give bulk discount rates. Most of our items are, on average, $1-2.00 with some as low as $.25 and others up to $5.00. We also have sold Starbucks gift cards - you can get them in $3 or $5.00 denominations and this is a HUGE hit with parents. Regarding families in need. We generally allot a set amount in funds for the Office Secretary to hand out to children with financial assistance needs. I created gift certificates this year in the amount of $5 each for her to pass out at her discretion. With our store prices being so low a child could buy presents for their entire family for $5.

Wish me luck... this stuff takes a ton of time and planning...whew!!!

Our school has done our Gift Fair for many many years and yes it is a lot of work every year but the kids love it! We have someone chairing this event this year and before we even finish the event this year we will find someone to chair the event for next year. We do this because we do all of our shopping for the next year the day after Christmas or at least the first two days after Christmas. We do this because we get GREAT stuff very inexpensive because everything is on sale. We do not have to purchase anything from the Dollar Stores because we get such discounts on quality merchandise the day after Christmas. As far as gift wrapping goes our school does pre wrap all of the gifts. We leave one item out unwrapped so the kids can see what it is and then stack the wrapped gifts behind that for them to put in their shopping baskets. A local grocery store donates the little hand held carry baskets for the kids to use while shopping. All the other wrapped gifts are placed in a box under the table and directly below the item so that we can restock before the next class comes in. We set up about 4 gift wrapping sessions about a month before the gift Fair and have parent volunteers come in and gift wrap. We also have all of our gift wrap, bags, tissue paper, tape, sticky back labels, and ribbon donated. We start sending out letters at the beginning of the year to our parents asking for donations and have never had a problem getting all that we need. We do no gift wrapping at the fair. We have a table set up with a few parent volunteers to help kids fill out and put gift labels on their packages. We only use the sticky back labels because they are easier and faster. We have done this enough to pretty much now around the amount we should purchase each year and have no problem selling out come the last day of Gift Fair. You do have to make enough money in your Parent group to be able to purchase a year ahead and you also have to have a storage place. This is a HUGE undertaking and takes a lot of pre planning. I would say if you have not gift wrapped by this point to just not do it. It can be done both ways. The hard part will be coming to an agreement with your co-chair. Just exsplain to her that this is something that can be done next year so you can pre plan. But as for this year you are going to wrap at the event or just not wrap at all! Hope this helps!

Regarding the less fortunate children, our school counselor has a list of those students and what happens so that their confidentiality is not broken, is that she sets a time with us that no-one else will be in the shop and she is then allowed to bring them in there and let them pick out a gift for each of their family members at no cost. What happens at our school is that the teachers only send those students who bring money in to the shop. The others are welcome to look if they wish to come, but if they didn't bring money they don't make any purchases.
We do not limit the # of items they purchase. Sometimes this means we run out of certain things, but if so we make a quick trip to the store. Some bring $2.00 and some bring $100.00. We don't want them to have to be limited in their spending if their parents sent in so much. This year we are trying something new as well, we are having our shop open after school from 3:00 to 7:00 pm on one day only, for parents and/or staff who would also like to shop or "just take a peek" at the items. Sometimes this helps the parents in deciding how much money to send in with their child. Hope this helps!

PresidentJim;139201 wrote: I have one related question which was discussed last night at our meeting...

When you guys run a Holiday Shoppe, does every child, whether they have money or not, attend?

See, we have it during the day with classroom's assigned a time to go. When we have a book fair, only the children who were given money go down. I can kind of understand that reasoning. Why have a kid go watch their friends purchasing gifts if they can't?

But the co-chair of the event, who has run it for the past few years, believes that all of the kids should be allowed to go since she knows many of them who would not be able to afford to purchase, so those children are given presents for free. I can understand that thinking, to a degree, but where does it end? Who decides which kids are in need and which are not?

Also, do you guys limit the amount of presents that one child can purchase? We don't, which usually means that we run out of product and need to makes extra trips to the store. Other schools in the area only allow a child to purchase for 2 relatives. I'm against the limiting, but since this is not a profit making function, where do we draw the line? We do promote it as "only immediate family", but too often you have those kids that show up with $20 and puy 10 presents.

Just wondering what you guys think.

Thanks,
PresidentJim

I haven't heard anyone mention ebay yet. I have done the Santa Shop for 2 years now at my elementary school (pre-K thru 5th) and this year I bought my bags on Ebay for just .06 cents each. They are plastic shopping bags that say Happy Holidays on them and the size was 12x16. There are multiple choices in color, size and price on ebay so check it out! We put the item in the bag, wrap it with just some simple tissue paper (dollar store) and staple bag shut. They can then take it home and wrap with wrapping paper should they choose to do so. No-one wants it pre-wrapped- that takes away the fun! Also good men's gifts are coffee mugs, flashlights, wallets, playing cards, money clips, ties, gloves, camoflauge items- all of which we have gotten from the Dollar Tree this year.
Good luck and I hope this helps!!

braedonconnormom;139110 wrote: Anyone have advice on how to do a Santa shop? I'm co-chair with another PTO member and let's just say that things are going less than smoothly. Our personalities are very different and it's making this really stressful instead of fun. We disagree on what items to purchase--what have done well at your school? (particularly for dads/grandpas) Also, do you prewrap? Trying to wrap 1500 items ahead of time is really not feasible, but that's what she wants done. Our school is pre-k to 8th grade...I suggested that we only wrap pre-K to 3rd grade, but she has an all or nothing attitude. HELP!

I have one related question which was discussed last night at our meeting...

When you guys run a Holiday Shoppe, does every child, whether they have money or not, attend?

See, we have it during the day with classroom's assigned a time to go. When we have a book fair, only the children who were given money go down. I can kind of understand that reasoning. Why have a kid go watch their friends purchasing gifts if they can't?

But the co-chair of the event, who has run it for the past few years, believes that all of the kids should be allowed to go since she knows many of them who would not be able to afford to purchase, so those children are given presents for free. I can understand that thinking, to a degree, but where does it end? Who decides which kids are in need and which are not?

Also, do you guys limit the amount of presents that one child can purchase? We don't, which usually means that we run out of product and need to makes extra trips to the store. Other schools in the area only allow a child to purchase for 2 relatives. I'm against the limiting, but since this is not a profit making function, where do we draw the line? We do promote it as "only immediate family", but too often you have those kids that show up with $20 and puy 10 presents.

Just wondering what you guys think.

Thanks,
PresidentJim

We have designated volunteers who serve as "wrappers." Actually, each year AFTER the holidays we buy very cheap leftover paper to be used at following Holiday Gift Shop. The tables are off along one wall; if the kids want us to gift wrap, they bring the items over and choose the wrapping paper. While they are busy writing out the gift tags, our wrappers wrap the gifts. Then the gifts are put back in the kids' bags (donated from the grocery store) ready to be brought home! We have found that kids LOVE having "secret" things already wrapped, and it alleviates the excitement of premature "look what I bought you!" to their siblings/parents.
The companies absolutely suck. We buy all of our own stuff, which does take A LOT of time and planning, but well worth it come Holiday Gift Shop day. Also sell doughnuts and juice to raise money....