Retail students from Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch secondaries are appealing to businesses and groups to help stock their town centre shop, this July.
Working with Retail Skillshop Dorset and Bournemouth and Poole College, some 25 students will use an empty unit in Christchurch’s Saxon Square to fit out and sell from.
The scheme gives year 10 pupils the chance to use retail skills learnt on their City & Guilds Level 2, everything from customer service to pricing and visual merchandising to business sense.
Companies including Regatta, Lush, Craghoppers, and Oswald Bailey have already offered to donate stock for the students’ shops which will sell clothing, cosmetics, gift ware and books.
Every step of the process mirrors the real retail environment with students interviewed for the various jobs in-store, and tasked with not only making a profit from their venture but a sustainable one.
The majority of the pupils come from Twynham School plus ten from Glenmoor and Ashdown Technology College as members of the Wessex Consortium.
“The money these students make will be re-invested to develop the future retail workforce and raise the profile and public perception of the profession,” said Mandy Payne, Retail Skillshop co-ordinator.
“By supporting these young people you are directly helping the future of retail.”
Rob Palmer, assistant head at Twynham and chair of the School Retail Group, said: “We work directly with employers to give the students practical and realistic vocational learning.
“With the retail students this means mystery shopping exercises in Christchurch and visual merchandising at Haskins.”
The students’ Christchurch shop will be open July 12 to 16.
If you can help boost their stock call Mandy Payne on 07711 305958 or email retailskillshop@bpc.ac.uk
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