Time to Shop & Handling Sales

Most schools typically bring down one classroom at a time and line them up outside the room, allowing approximately 30 minutes per classroom, with adjustments based on your specific needs. The final day can accommodate absent children or those needing additional gifts. Children will shop using the budget envelope as a guide. Keep in mind that younger children may require more assistance and time. Depending on the number of volunteers available, ensure coverage at the checkout and gift bagging section first. If you have extra volunteers, you can assign them to specific tables/categories (Female, Male, Kids) or have them assist children while shopping.

In case of bad weather or unexpected disruptions to your sales: We understand that unforeseen circumstances can happen. You’re welcome to extend your sales as needed without the necessity of notifying us. Our priority is to make sure all kids have every opportunity to enjoy the holiday shop.

Starting Cash: To ensure smooth operations, it’s advisable to begin with approximately $250 to $350 in the cash box, distributed across $10, $5, $1, and $0.25 denominations. Since all prices are rounded to the nearest $0.25, here’s an approximate breakdown:

$10 bills: 5 to 10 bills ($50 to $100)
$5 bills: 10 to 20 bills ($50 to $100)
$1 bills: 100 bills ($100)
Quarters ($0.25): 5 rolls of $10 each = 200 quarters ($50)
For larger sales or one-day events, you may consider starting with a higher amount in your cash box.

IMPORTANT:
Keep a record of your starting and ending cash amounts each day to calculate your daily cash sales. You’ll need to enter your daily cash sales or total cash sales in the Chairperson Portal to determine your invoice. Please note that gift certificates and credit card sales should not be included in your cash sales, as they are automatically credited on your invoice. If your school has chosen holiday shop bucks as a bonus, they should also not be counted in your cash sales. All schools now operate on a “no-count” inventory system, and your invoice is based on your cash sales without counting inventory, unless you specifically requested a “count” sale on your agreement.

Helpful tip from Hollie, a chairperson who runs a night sale: If parents pay and tell you to keep the change as a donation, keep a sheet of paper, write down all donations, and subtract them from your daily cash sales.

Remember:

Gift Certificates: Treat gift certificates like cash, and if a child doesn’t spend the full amount, provide change as needed. The portal maintains a real-time log of all gift certificate and sponsored gift certificate sales for your review. You can access this list on your phone at the shop or print it each morning before the sale starts. Keep in mind that a gift certificate may have been purchased after you printed your list. This list comes in handy if a child loses or forgets a gift certificate, as you can still honor it even if the certificate is not physically present. All gift certificates are automatically credited off your invoice and do not need to be returned or counted in your daily cash sales. Treat gift certificates like cash, and if a child doesn’t spend the full amount, provide change as needed. However, we do not recommend giving change for sponsored gift certificates, as the change can be used to assist another child in need.

Sponsored Children or Classroom Gift Certificates: Families have the option to sponsor a child or classroom in your 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 leave it to the chairperson to give it to those most in need. All gift certificates are emailed to the chairperson and listed in the portal, and you can print sponsored gift certificates to hand to the children or find your own creative way to share the good news with them. Treat sponsored gift certificates like cash, and if a child doesn’t spend the full amount, we do not recommend giving change for sponsored gift certificates, as the change can be used to assist another child in need.

Credit Card Sales: Perfect for night, weekend, or volunteer sales. All credit card purchases are automatically recorded as a credit on your invoice. To process a credit card payment, enter the card details, and the customer can receive a text message with a transaction receipt. All credit card sales are automatically credited off your invoice and do not need to be counted in your daily cash sales. Note: Apple devices support tap-to-pay, and an internet connection is required for credit card transactions.

Holiday Shop Bucks (if selected as a bonus): If your school has chosen holiday shop bucks as a bonus, you’ll find them included in the chairperson material kit. Holiday shop bucks are a helpful resource for children who may need financial assistance with their purchases. One common approach is to involve the teachers by asking them to identify students in their classrooms who might benefit from these bucks. To make it an enjoyable experience for the selected children, consider creating a playful, pretend drawing that makes them feel like lucky winners. You can then provide these children with a predetermined amount of bucks, which you can decide, ranging from $1 to $5.