Popular School Holiday Shop Providers
We round up popular school holiday shop companies to help your PTO find the best fit for your school.
What Is a Holiday Shop?
Holiday shops, also known as Santa shops, are popular with kids and parents, and volunteers often enjoy helping children make their choices. The basic setup is that parent groups provide merchandise, which students can purchase as gifts for family members and friends (including pets!). Many groups mark up the items to run the shop as a fundraiser, while others sell the items at cost as a service for families.
How Does a School Holiday Shop Work?
-
Decide on a name for your shop. Popular names include Winter Wonderland, Candy Cane Lane, and Santa’s Workshop.
-
Make sure to choose a good mix of gift items at a variety of price points. It’s best if most items are less than $5 to $10 each. You’ll want to set up your shop in a spot with enough space to display the items and manage crowd control, such as the school library or multipurpose room.
-
Work with teachers and administrators to schedule previews and shopping times for each class. And have a plan to discreetly help children who can't afford to shop; this might be done with gift certificates or store credit, for example.
Benefits of Working With a Holiday Shop Company
A DIY holiday shop is a big organizational challenge, with a lot of up-front planning, cash outlay for gift items, and volunteer recruitment. By working with a holiday shop vendor, you can order merchandise on consignment (no preselling or money up front) and use the preloaded store app for purchases to make the checkout process even simpler and faster. No money goes to the vendor until the shop is over; you’ll only pay for what you sell, and return any unsold items.
Most vendors will send the holiday shop chair a planning packet with tips for a successful event, promotional materials, bags, tablecloths, and signage. And, since it’s tough to predict what the hot items will be, working with a provider gives your group a pain-free way to restock from day to day.
Below are some popular companies that provide holiday shop services to school parent groups. Give them a look to find the one that works for your school community.
Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe
Overview
Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe is a family-owned school holiday shop company trusted by schools nationwide for over 50 years. We make running an in-school holiday gift shop easy with affordable gifts, exclusive technology, free supplies, fast shipping, and flexible profit options. As one of the most established holiday shop providers in the country, our programs help schools create fun, memorable holiday shopping experiences kids and families love. With fast reorder support and exclusive tools designed specifically for elementary school holiday shops, we help make the process simple and stress-free for volunteers.
Features and Benefits
-
Quality gifts with 85% of items priced at $5 or less for affordable elementary school shopping
-
Free supplies, setup materials, and UPS shipping included
-
Fast Next Day Air reorder service keeps your holiday shop stocked
-
Exclusive POS holiday shop app accepts cash, cards, gift certificates, and more
-
No upfront costs with free return of all unsold merchandise
-
Run as a service program or fundraiser with flexible profit options
-
Gift certificates let parents pay by card while students shop cash-free
Pricing and Profits
No upfront or out-of-pocket costs. Schools only pay for the gifts they sell and may return all unsold merchandise. Your holiday shop can run as a service program or fundraiser, with flexible profit options including 0%, 10%, 20%, or custom pricing selected by your school. Schools may also choose 5% extra profit as a sign-up bonus. No-Count inventory offers the easiest invoicing option for your holiday shop, while Count inventory remains available if preferred.
Sign-up bonus: Use promo code PTOHolidayShop to receive a FREE $300 carnival kit when you sign up, then choose an additional bonus including 5% extra profit on your holiday shop, $200 Holiday Shop Dollars, or a second $300 carnival kit.
What Parent Groups Are Saying About Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe
“I ran the Lil’ Shopper’s Shoppe for my son’s school and we absolutely loved it. The items were of great quality and reasonable pricing. The company made sure we were taken care of and had everything we needed. And if we ran out of something it was overnighted to us. 10/10 would definitely recommend. And I can’t wait to work with them again next year!”
—Meghan Marvin, PTO Holiday Shop Chairperson, Berea Elementary, Greenville, SC (Google review)
Holiday Treasures Gift Shop
Overview
Bring the “Joy of “Giving” to students and their families this holiday season with Holiday Treasures’ school Holiday Shops. For over 55 years, we have been the trusted provider of high-quality gift shops, offering store-quality gifts at kid-friendly prices. Our exclusive E-Z Scanner checkout system, featuring handheld scanners, simplifies the checkout process for volunteers. Scanners are easier than using an app on your phone, cash register or hand-held calculators. Our experienced, friendly staff supports you every step of the way for a treasure-filled experience for the children at your school.
Features and Benefits
-
Gift Store Quality – You’ll See the Difference!
-
Hand-Held Scanners Make Checkout Easy
-
Kid Friendly Prices – Most $1 to $6
-
Sales and Inventory Tracking – No Counting
-
Online Gift Preview for Families
-
Prepaid Gift Vouchers Can Be Used Instead of Cash
-
Complete Promotional Program with Gift Bags Included
Pricing and Profits
With our risk free consignment model, your school pays only for the gifts sold and can earn up to 25% profit based on your chosen markup and bonus. Gift prices range from $0.50 to $15, with most items under $6, making it easy for students to stay within their budgets. We provide everything needed, including scanners, a complete promotional program, gift bags, plus free delivery, pickup and next-day reorders to keep your shop fully stocked. It’s a simple, turnkey program that students love and parents appreciate.
What Parent Groups Are Saying About Holiday Treasures Gift Shop
“The past six years our school has worked with Holiday Treasures. We have never been disappointed. The high quality care and service you receive always goes above and beyond. The inventory is of great quality and there are so many options that there truly is something for everyone and every budget. If you are looking for a holiday shop, look no further. I assure you, you will be more than pleased with Holiday Treasures.”
—Breanna K., Holiday Shop Chairperson, Genoa Elementary, Genoa, IL
Kids’ Kastle Holiday Shoppe by Kastle Fundraising
Overview
Kids’ Kastle Holiday Shoppe has helped schools create fun and successful in-school Holiday Shoppe experiences for over 45 years. Schools trust Kids’ Kastle for quality merchandise, fast reorders, personalized service, and volunteer-friendly systems that make running a Holiday Shoppe simple and stress-free. From setup to pack-up, our experienced team supports schools every step of the way.
Features and Benefits
-
Affordable Merchandise—85% of items are $5 or less with quality gifts students can afford.
-
No Count Inventory System Saves time: unpack, sell, repack returns, and skip counting.
-
Next-day reorders keep best sellers stocked and your Shoppe running smoothly
-
Parent Preview Site—Parents preview gifts and prices online so students can plan purchases ahead
-
Turn phones or tablets into fast, easy checkout stations with credit card acceptance.
-
Chairperson Portal—tracking, reorders, and gift certificates simplify event management.
-
45+ years of personalized support to help make every Holiday Shoppe successful.
Pricing and Profits
Choose between our No Count Inventory System or Traditional Count Inventory Program. Schools can select either a 10% or 20% profit option in advance. Our No Count System eliminates inventory counting before and after the sale, helping reduce volunteer workload. Schools simply keep track of daily sales totals and utilize our online invoicing system to automatically calculate invoices and school profits. Schools also receive promotional materials, pricing cards, gift bags, posters, and Social Media Posts.
What Parent Groups Are Saying About Kids’ Kastle Holiday Shoppe
“We had a wonderful experience working with Kids Kastle Holiday Shoppers! From start to finish, their team was incredibly responsive and easy to work with. The quality and selection of items were fantastic, with prices that were very reasonable for our families. They were also extremely accommodating with our restock requests, ensuring our students always had great options to choose from. Thanks to Kids Kastle, our PTO was able to help nearly 500 students shop for their loved ones and experience the joy of giving. We truly appreciate their partnership and highly recommend them to any school or PTO looking to host a holiday shop!”
— M. Harvey Franklin Boro School, Franklin, NJ
My Holiday Fair
Overview
My Holiday Fair is the EASIEST school holiday shop to run! What sets My Holiday Fair apart is our “Pop the Top and Shop” tray system. Your kit will include 100 different merchandise items and arrive in pre-organized trays, price coded and ready to go! Simply open the lids and your shop is ready to run. When you are done, close the lids again and send what you didn’t sell back to us. Everything you need to run your shop is provided and there are no upfront costs, you will only pay for what is sold. We make it EASY, EDUCATIONAL, and RISK FREE!
Features and Benefits
-
Pop the Top and Shop system—wide variety of quality items arrive organized and ready to sell
-
NO upfront costs or hidden fees—your school will only pay for what is sold
-
Promotional Materials provided—Wall Posters, Parent Letters, and Money Envelopes
-
Online Wallet—Parents can add money to their student's account online
-
Shop Supplies provided—Table Cloths, Small Medium and Large Gift Wraps Sacks, and a Cash Box
-
Easy to use Online Cash Register add up and track each sale—no programming and no download needed
-
All shop supplies ship free of charge, including one free overnighted reorder
Pricing and Profits
As far as how much money your school will make, that is up to you! Schools can run their shop as a service project with no mark up, or can mark prices up 10-50% to be a fundraiser. Merchandise costs without any mark up start at just $0.25, with the majority of gifts costing under $6.50. At the end, you will total your sales, keep your profit % and send the remaining cost to us.
“Working with My Holiday Fair has been a wonderful experience! It was so easy and the customer contact we had was amazing and so quick to respond to any questions we had. The set up was easier than shops our school used in the past. I would definitely recommend this company for any holiday shop needs!”
—S. Rinkel, Holiday Shop Chair, Westside Elementary, Pittsburg, KS
Natalie’s Holiday Shop
Overview
Natalie’s Holiday Shop is the modern, on-trend holiday shop schools trust. Students learn budgeting, generosity, and decision-making while secretly shopping for holiday gifts. Natalie’s is the only holiday shop offering two themes: Natalie’s Elf Shelf Holiday Shop and Natalie’s Giftland Holiday Shop. We ship directly to schools with no upfront costs and cover shipping and supplies. Featuring high-quality gifts, free materials, and custom-designed items, Natalie’s stands out for one reason: quality.
Features and Benefits
-
On-Trend, Quality Gifts—Custom gifts from $0.50–$12.50 kids love. Very modern holiday shop!
-
Free Supplies—Gift bags, parent letters, aprons, banners, posters, and more included.
-
Online Register—Fast, easy checkout system with credit card acceptance.
-
eWallet—Families can upload funds online anytime and access their own portal to view balances/activity.
-
Early Sign-Up Bonuses—Enroll early and receive 2 FREE bonus items.
-
Two Shop Themes—Choose Natalie’s Elf Shelf Holiday Shop or Natalie’s Giftland Holiday Shop. How FUN!
-
No Upfront Costs—Free shipping, no inventory counting, and top-notch support.
Pricing and Profits
Natalie’s Holiday Shops offers profit options from 0%–25%, with 0%–20% recommended for the best shopping experience. Service projects often choose 0%, 5%, or 10%, while fundraisers may choose 20%–25%. Your online register is pre-programmed with your selected profit level. There are no upfront costs—you are invoiced after your sale, and your invoice is credited with your school’s earned profit. See our website for pricing details.
What Parent Groups Are Saying About Natalie’s Holiday Shop
“We (West Washington) used Natalie's Elf Shelf for the first time in 2025 and we were INCREDIBLY impressed with the customer service and overall process. The organization of the shop from registration to close was impeccable! We in previous years tried other shops and this was such a breath of fresh air to have a pleasant experience from beginning to end all while knowing if a problem would arise that Natalie would be there to support! Excited to see the new holiday shop theme in 2026 as we have already registered!”
—Amanda Cole, West Washington Elementary, PTO President , Campbellsburg, IN
