• Keep in mind this is a high end re-sale pop-up boutique.  It should look and feel like a high end retail space. 

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• Best practices are to solicit donations from Committee Members,  friends with great fashion sense, high end designer re-sale consignment stores (they often donate unsold items to clear their racks for new merchandise), small boutiques, charity supporters, neighbors, Women in Business organizations.  Remind all prospective donors that your organization will provide them a tax donation letter for all items donated.

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• Provide donors with a tax letter for deducting their donated items. (located in the forms link) 

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• Solicit hangers (all one kind and not wire!)  from stores.  Many throw the hangers away.  Many stores will loan you items for merchandising your shop.  If you are pricing and merchandising your re-sale shop the day of the event start as early as possible!  Many venues have rolling racks/Z-racks: coordinate with your venue chairperson to identify how many are available.  You can also rent racks from rental companies.

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• Clothing racks should be sturdy and portable!  It is best practice to invest in purchasing 9 to 12  rolling salesman racks.  Designate a location for donations to be stored and the items priced and merchandised on racks.  Merchandise should be separated on racks by:  Couture Designer (examples: Chanel, Gucci, St. John, Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Jimmy Choo, Christin Louboutin, Burberry, Dior...), Contemporary Designer ( Free People, Vince Comuto, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, See by Chloe...)  A list will be provided for you in our forms link.  Accessories that are gently loved such as purses, evening bags, shoes, accessories, fashion jewelry, sunglasses, hats, scarves are all a big hit!

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• Our pricing guide is simple to use: you can follow our suggestions based upon brands or you can price items as you desire with simply using our color coded system. 

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• Once you have gathered items you will need volunteers to inventory and price your items.  An accurate inventory is necessary for documentation related to tax letters.  Remember the items donated are being given to raise money for your cause.  The donors often attend your event so it is a best practice that purchases by committee members and volunteers occur at the VIP pre-event early shopping opportunity.  Photos of your merchandised Re-sale shop should be taken prior to your event start time for use with media, next year's promotional materials and to help with merchandising next year.

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• If you are merchandising and pricing your items off-site a best practice is to cover full racks with clear mattress moving bags (purchase at HomeDepot or other home supply or moving supply stores)

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• Merchandising your items on racks and pricing.  You will be provided color coded pricing barbs that coordinate with sticker dots (for use on shoes), and hang tags for attaching to belts, purses... anything you can not price with a dot or price tagging gun.  Best practice is to sort your items into price categories and price all the same "price color" items at one time.  If you continue to gather donations it is best to price those and hang them as you gather them.  All unwanted items should be donated to local agencies.  (Goodwill, Shelters, Churches..)

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• Venues often have catering risers check with the venue coordinator and venue event manager during your site visit to ascertain if they will be available for your use and what is available. 

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• Enlist shop owners, re-sale shop employees and any other individuals with retail experience to assist you.

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• Set up your Check-Outs.  Test payment systems and train your volunteer cashiers.  Have cash boxes with change at all of your check-out stations.  Also have tables set up behind the check-outs for volunteers to bag and attach bag check claim tickets to each shoppers bag.  Runners will take the bags to the bag check claim room for pick up later.  Be sure to have color pricing guides placed throughout your shop and at all check-outs. 

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• If you have multiple rooms set up be sure to have shoppers pay for their items prior to leaving each room.  If you have one large open area for your shopping vault boutique have a barrier and signage to create an entrance and exit.  A volunteer should be placed at both to greet shoppers and at the exit to remind shoppers that their purchases will be available at the close of the event at the event check-out. 

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• Once your vault(s) are merchandised  (completion should be a minimum of 2 hours prior to event start time).  Get your volunteers ready to sell, sell, sell.  Have them offer to keep items at check-out to free up you shoppers hands to find more items to purchase.