Tips for Organizing a Successful Christmas Boutique
Doubling Fundraising Events
Combine events to double your income. You can start off with a breakfast with Santa Claus to draw families to your boutique, rounding the event off with a shopping bonanza at the Christmas Boutique.
Pricing
Price the goods affordably but without shorting out your bottom line. Put a maximum cap on the boutique to attract buyers. A sign posted outside the boutique reading “Nothing over Five Dollars!” will attract people driving by who had no intention of stopping. Price the goods consistently and affordably. Although you need to make money, you also need to try and sell everything. The more affordable your boutique the larger crowd you draw and the more you will sell.
Recruit Enthusiastic Volunteers
Recruit help in wrapping presents, working the snack stand and working the money box. The more help you recruit the smoother your event will be. Remember to delegate duties. People are willing to help but they can’t read your mind.
Have a Children Shopping Hour
Children can visit the boutique and shop for articles for their parents under supervision. Make sure you have a group of able volunteers to assist the children as they shop for their gifts. You also need volunteers to help wrap the gifts once chosen. Children enjoy this shopping experience without their parents. Incorporate a penny auction for some of children’s toys. This gives the children a chance to be involved and have fun at the same time.
Have Fun
Turn you boutique into a festive event by serving breakfast baked goods at a low prices for the early morning shoppers and serve lunch too. Create a fun filled atmosphere with seasonal music to create the mood. You could recruit young talent to play some gentle Christmas music. Decorate the room to reflect the holiday spirit. Donated decorated Christmas trees can adorn the room. The trees can be raffled off at the end of the boutique.
Baked Goods and Candy are Given Addition
Increase your boutique earnings by selling baked goods. Christmas cookies are a real winner. Few working people have the time to bake goods during the holidays; therefore they will gladly buy your wares.
Local Crafters
Rent some tables or booths to local vendors and crafters. This effectively increases the uniqueness of available gifts. Remember to put a cap on the prices of their merchandise too.
Involve the Community
The more people involved in your boutique the more successful it will be. Reach out to the senior community to aid in putting crafts together. Larger more expensive donations can be raffled off. Cook books with recipes from local members sell well at boutique. If the recipe donors are the folks that bring the most appetizing dishes to local potluck dinners, your cookbook will be a success. If the boutique is organized by the church, involve the Sunday school children in making crafts to sell.
Where do the Proceeds go?
Make sure the shoppers are well aware of where the proceeds go. If it’s a good cause people will be generous in giving more and donating items for the sale.
Time
Give yourself plenty of time to plan the event. Let craft vendors know well in advance of the boutique. Start your craft collecting drive early in the year.
Team Effort
A good Christmas Boutique is a team effort. Appoint an able team and assign duties. The first effort of the team should determine the date and venue of the boutique.
Publicity
Publicize the event by passing out fliers, posting and running ads in local papers. Word of mouth is very effective as well. Get the word out of your boutique. The larger the turnout the more funds you can raise.
After the successful boutique, get together with your team to discuss successes and failures. It’s never too early to start working on your plan for the next boutique.
