August in the uniform shop
The uniform shop opens three mornings a week in term and for a few long days in late August. New families order on a paper form or by email. The shop volunteer or member of staff checks the shelves, packs what is there and notes what is missing. By the last week of August, blazers in the most common sizes have run out, and a new supplier order will not arrive until after term starts.
Meanwhile, three boxes of donated second-hand uniform sit in the back room, sorted roughly, and families who ask about it are told to come in and look.
Orders and stock are not connected
The uniform shop is often run by one or two people with a paper order book and a spreadsheet of stock, if that. Orders are not checked against stock when placed, and nothing shows which sizes will run out before the rush. Second-hand uniform, which families value, is not recorded at all.
- Orders are placed on paper or by email.
- Stock is checked on the shelf when packing.
- Popular sizes run out in the August rush.
- Supplier reorders are based on guesswork.
- Second-hand items are unrecorded and hard to find.
What an unconnected shop costs
New families start term without the right uniform, which is not the welcome you want. Staff or volunteers spend hours on orders and stock checks. Stock is over-ordered in some sizes and under-ordered in others. And second-hand uniform, which could help families and reduce waste, sits unused.
Money is tied up in the shop as well. Blazers, sports kit with the school crest and embroidered items are not cheap to hold, and they cannot be returned to a supplier if the crest is yours. Over-ordering the wrong sizes leaves stock on the shelves for years. Under-ordering the right ones leaves families waiting and phoning. A shop run without size-level records gets both wrong at once.
Online uniform ordering we build
- The uniform list is set up by item, size and gender where relevant, with prices and which items are required for each year group.
- Families order online, and only sizes in stock can be ordered for immediate collection; others can be ordered for later supply with a clear date.
- Payment is by card or charged to the fee bill, as the school allows.
- Orders are packed for collection from the shop or delivered to the pupil at school.
- Stock is kept at size level, and a report before the summer shows sizes likely to run out based on new pupil numbers and past orders, to help the reorder.
- Second-hand donations are recorded by item and size when they come in, and listed online so families can reserve them.
| Task | Before | With online ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Placing an order | Paper form or email | Online, sizes in stock shown |
| Paying | At the shop | Card or fee bill |
| Knowing what will run out | Found out in August | Report before the reorder |
| Second-hand uniform | Boxes in the back room | Listed and reservable |
A new-term rush that is under control
New families order online in July. The shop packs orders in advance and they are ready for collection on the August days. The reorder was based on the numbers of new pupils in each year group, so common sizes are there. Families who want second-hand items reserve them online. The shop volunteer spends the August days handing over orders, not searching shelves.
The same stock records are useful through the year, when growing pupils need a larger size mid-term and the shop can see immediately whether it has one.
Signs your uniform shop needs this
- Uniform orders are on paper or by email.
- Popular sizes run out in August.
- Reorders are based on guesswork.
- Second-hand uniform is not recorded.
- The shop's opening hours limit when families can order.