Lil Shoppers Shoppe Santa Shop - How it Works
Our Lil' Shopper's Shoppe is simply the best holiday shop, aka Santa Shop, in the fundraising industry! Your PTA/PTO volunteers, school administration, students, parents, and gift recipients will all appreciate the quality of the products, the online tools, and customer support! Your school will want to make our Lil' Shopper's Shoppe an annual tradition. It's the perfect holiday shop fundraiser!
Free Supplies
Free Shipping on Merchandise
No Upfront Costs
No Hidden Fees
Free Return Shipping
Free Next Day Air on All Reorders
How to Manual
Everything your need to know from A-to-Z to run your holiday shop successfully!
Program Overview
Our Holiday Shop, also known as Santa Shop, offers a wide variety of quality, affordable gifts for school Christmas fundraisers. It includes items perfect for family members including Mom, Dad, grandparents, aunt & uncles, siblings, teachers, pets, babies, and friends, with personalized messages like “You’re Special” and “World’s Best.” We provide everything needed for a successful holiday shop fundraiser, free of charge: parent letters, budget envelopes, posters, tablecloths, gift bags, tent cards, pre-coded merchandise, a check-out app, free next-day UPS shipping on recorders, return service labels, a Chairperson Portal, and a customizable MySchool Parent Website.
Gift Allocation and Reorders
Your school's gift allocation depends on enrollment, sales days, and previous holiday shop sales. If you're new, past invoices are helpful but not required; we have over 45 years of experience and comprehensive sales statistics to help us determine the right starting inventory for your school's holiday shop fundraiser. Reorders during the sale are simple and hassle-free.
Sale Date, Location and Duration
The best time to host your holiday shop is during the week before Thanksgiving and the first three weeks of December. Selecting the right location for your sale is essential for its success. The Santa shop fundraiser should be set up in an accessible and comfortable area of the school, such as the library, auditorium, or a classroom. Most sales occur during the school day, and it is recommended to allocate approximately 30 minutes per classroom. This time frame can be adjusted to meet specific needs. Sales for your Santa shop typically run for three to five days, depending on the size of the school. It is advised to sell from Tuesday through Thursday, with Monday designated for setup and Friday for breakdown, as well as accommodating children who were absent or who need to purchase additional gifts. Additionally, some schools host a Family Shopping Night to provide everyone the opportunity to participate in the holiday gift shop experience. If you experience bad weather or any interruptions to your sales, please feel free to extend your sales. We understand that unforeseen circumstances can occur, and we want to ensure that all the kids have every opportunity to participate in the holiday shop.
Organizing your Holiday Shop Volunteers
The number of volunteers needed for your holiday shop fundraiser depends on student enrollment and the shop duration. When promoting your kids holiday shop, ask for volunteers, including grandparents. Volunteering at a holiday shop is a memorable event, rewarding volunteers with joy as they choose gifts. Ensure several volunteers are available to assist students with shopping and gift bagging. Assign a trusted member as head cashier to count money daily. Assign one or two people knowledgeable about the sale to assist with setup, reorders, and closing the Christmas shop fundraiser.
Chairperson Kit with Promotional Materials and Supplies
The Chairperson Kit for your holiday shop fundraiser will arrive approximately 4 weeks before your sale starts. Upon receipt of your holiday gift shop chairperson kit, you will find a variety of materials designed to assist in organizing a successful holiday shop event. In the Chairperson Kit, you will find:
- Your Parent Letters and Budget Envelopes: This colorful and detailed letters are intended to be sent home with students to encourage participation in the sale. The budget envelopes fulfill two functions: they enable parents to list the individuals for whom their child is shopping and offer a secure method for carrying money or gift certificates.
- Coming Soon Posters: The posters can be displayed in high-traffic areas like the school lobby, hallways or auditorium to create excitement and awareness about the upcoming holiday Santa shop.
- Chairperson Manual/App Information Flyer: The flyer directs you to a manual with useful details for navigating the holiday shop process. The back explains our cash register app, its functions, and benefits for streamlining the checkout.
- Holiday Shop Bucks (if selected as a bonus): If your school has chosen holiday shop bucks as a bonus, they will be included in the kit. Holiday shop bucks are provided for children who need financial assistance with their Santa shop purchases. Teachers can identify students in their classrooms who might benefit from these bucks. To distribute the bucks, create a drawing to select the children, making it an engaging experience. The amount given to each child can range from $1 to $5.
- You will also find your login information to access your Chairperson Portal. You should explore the portal prior to your sale. Look for the section where you can customize your MySchool Parent Website by adding your schedule or any details about your holiday shop sale. After updating you can start promoting your upcoming sale by sharing the URL to your school’s website with students’ families. Simply share the holiday shop website via email and post it on social media; we have social media blocks already created for you in the portal labeled “marketing toolbox”.
Gifts Arrival
The Santa Shop gifts will be delivered approximately 5-10 days before the Santa shop fundraiser begins, unless specified otherwise in the agreement. To facilitate setup, begin by organizing the boxes labeled “Box 1,” “Box 2,” and so forth. For larger shops, there may be multiple boxes labeled “Box 1” and “Box 2.” Find the box labeled “Open This Box First,” which will be among the “Box 1s.” This box contains:
- The chairperson’s packet (Price Code Checkout Sheet, Re-Order Form, Manual/App Flyer, IOU Coupon Information, Closing Instructions, Invoice Worksheet, and Item List.
We will also ship:
- Pre-paid return labels,
- Pre-priced tent cards with pictures of each gift for setup assistance.
- All “Box 1s” also include tablecloths and gift bags.
Your Santa Shop Chairperson Portal
Your Santa shop for schools portal contains important details about your sale, including:
Contract Summary: It provides information about your school, organization members, sales representative, sale dates, enrollment, inventory, profit, and shipping addresses for materials, inventory, and returns.
Orders & Shipments: This section covers all shipments, including the chairperson kit, initial gift shipment, reorders, and IOUs. It offers comprehensive details for each shipment, including addresses, tracking information, and the inventory enclosed.
Holiday Shop Sales History: If your school has previously used our services, past sales history can be accessed.
Delivery Tracking: All shipment deliveries can be conveniently accessed and tracked in one place.
Gift Certificate Sales: Real-time logs of all gift certificate sales are available for review. This feature is useful in case a child loses or forgets a gift certificate. All gift certificates are automatically credited off the invoice. For detailed info, click “Gift Certificates” in the menu.
Credit Card Sales: The app can accept credit card payments, and Apple devices support tap-to-pay. Credit card sales are logged in real time and automatically credited off the invoice. Note that Wi-Fi is required for credit card transactions. For detailed info, click “App & Checkout” in the menu.
Reorder Inventory & IOU Request: All reorders and IOUs should be submitted through the Chairperson Portal. The mobile interface allows easy viewing and reordering of inventory while walking around tables. All reorders and IOUs, along with tracking information, are displayed here. For detailed info, click “Reorders & IOU’s” in the menu.
Sale Invoicing: This feature simplifies invoicing. Daily cash sales or grand totals at the end of the sale can be entered, and the system will automatically calculate the invoice based on sales, minus profit, gift certificates, and credit card sales. For detailed info, click “Invoicing, Payment & Re-sign Bonus” in the menu.
Support Materials: Access the Marketing Toolbox, which includes social media blocks, logos, and other media materials.
MySchool Parent Website: Find the unique URL to share with families. Customize the site’s opening message and add class schedules or other details.
Resign Offer: After the sale is complete, click the Resign Offer button on the website to qualify for the largest bonus of the year. Dates or other details can be provided later if not immediately available.
MySchool Holiday Shop Fundraiser Parent Website
In the Chairperson Portal, you will find your school's unique URL, which can be shared with families. This is also where modifications can be made. To assist in promotional efforts, social media graphics are included in the chairperson portal for use in posts. This feature aims to streamline the process of spreading information about your holiday shop.
The site offers:
Customizable Landing Page: The site provides an introductory paragraph explaining the holiday shop fundraiser and what children can expect by default. However, since each school's event may have specific details, the default text serves as a starting point, and customization is available to match your school’s specific event. You can edit the content to include your Sale Schedule, Event Details, Special Highlights, Volunteer Shout-outs, Photos, Graphics, Reminders, and Thank You messages. The goal is to engage and inform the community about the event.
Gift Certificates: Parents can purchase Santa shop gift certificates for their children and sponsor a child or classroom through this feature.
Gift Preview: Families can view the available gifts, including retail prices based on the selected profit margin.
The MySchool Parent Website's URL should be shared with families through email and social media channels.
Gift Certificates
Purchasing Gift Certificates: Gift certificates provide a payment option for families who prefer using a credit card rather than sending cash with their child to school. They can be bought on the school’s website, which can be shared via email and social media. Families can also access the school’s website by entering the School Name, City, and State from the parent letter. Additionally, parents may email family members who might wish to purchase a gift certificate for their child. Once bought, a family member can email the gift certificate to the parent for the child to use at the holiday shop.
Sponsoring a Child or Classroom: After purchasing a gift certificate, families have the option to sponsor a child or classroom in the school. The identity of sponsors remains anonymous to the child and classroom, with only the chairperson knowing who the sponsoring family is. Sponsors can specify a particular child or classroom or allow the chairperson to allocate it to those most in need. All gift certificates are sent via email to the chairperson and listed in the portal. Sponsored gift certificates can be printed and distributed to the children or shared in other ways.
Gift Certificates in Chairperson Portal: The portal provides a real-time log of all gift certificates and sponsored gift certificate sales for review. Access this list on your phone at the shop or print it each morning before the sale. Note that a gift certificate may have been purchased after the list was printed. This list is useful if a child loses or forgets a gift certificate, as it can still be honored even if the certificate is not physically present.
Treat Gift Certificates like Cash: All gift certificates are automatically credited off the invoice and do not need to be returned or counted in daily cash sales. Treat gift certificates like cash, and if a child does not spend the full amount, provide change as needed. However, it is not recommended to give change for sponsored gift certificates, as the change can assist another child in need.
APP & Checkout
Pur
Setup
To ensure smooth organization during your holiday gift shop, we recommend setting up a minimum of four tables. If you have extra space, adjust your plan accordingly. Allocate one table for female gifts (mom/grandma/aunt), another for male gifts and teachers (dad/grandpa/uncle & teachers), one for kids’ gifts (girls/boys/sister/brother/baby & pets), and one for checkout & gift bags. Once your tables are in place, use the tablecloths provided to cover them. Arrange the tent cards on their respective tables in the order you received them, from the lowest to the highest prices. Then, begin unpacking the Santa shop gifts and match them with the corresponding holiday shop tent cards.
Sale Completion and Return
After the sale, pack the remaining holiday shop gifts and supplies into a few boxes. Attach the return labels included from the box marked "Open This Box First." Take them to your school's usual UPS delivery spot. Finally, go to the "Invoicing" section on the Chairperson Portal to close your sale.