Reading High Extreme School Store Makeover Week 2

A FABULOUS group of Reading High School students are hard at work this summer in order to give their classmates, teachers, friends and family members a new and improved Reading High School Store. The Grand Opening Celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for the start of the 2008-2009 school year.

Every Wednesday night throughout the summer this dedicated and brilliant team will meet in a different location to discuss ideas, implement plans, and figure out how they are going to make this the best school store Reading has ever seen!

The Reading High Extreme School Store Makeover could not be a success without the support of the students, community, families and friends of Reading High. Anna Kaye, Executive Director of the Reading Education Foundation has spearheaded the project and is the driving force behind everything. I, Rebecca Fried, on behalf of Boscov's will be helping out every step of the way... as we do know a little something about retail. Virginia Gantkowski, a Retail and Merchandising teacher at the Reading Muhlenburg Career Technology Center is also on board and will play an important role, as she is in charge of the RMCTC school store and talented group of students who participate and compete in DECA. Also, the many teachers, administration, local business leaders and parents who have already shown such great support. And let's not forget the most important people of all... The Reading High School Store Planning and Development Team who this blog will follow all summer long as they laugh, cry, and try to figure out "What do Reading High students, families, and faculty want?"

At our first meeting two weeks ago the team successfully came up with the school name (top secret for the moment), merchandise categories and assortment.

At last night's weekly meeting, the entire team, Anna, Kate Clewell, of the Reading High School Art Department and myself piled onto a school bus and headed to Fleetwood Fixtures. Fleetwood Fixtures has stepped up to the plate big time! They have given of their time and energy for this project, and are donating state-of-the art fixtures for the school store space. At last night's meeting, Mindy Gehris and Nicole Tourot presented their store design and merchandising recommendations. Their homework assignment... go to a store, any store, and take notice of the way products are presented, merchandised and sold.

Each week I will post pictures and updates on the progress of the school store. Next stop...Boscov's! Ken Lakin, CEO of Boscov's will be joining us to talk about the retail business and help the team select the opening assortment of apparel and accessories merchandise.

This is going to be an exciting and busy twelve weeks... so stay tuned and
GO RED KNIGHTS!

Week 1
Wednesday, June 11: Thanks to Bella Sicilia for a delicious meal and letting us take over the shop! The team determined the school store name and merchandise categories and mix.

Week 2
Wednesday, June 18: We head over to Fleetwood Fixtures where Mindy and Nicole presented their ideas, informed and inspired.


Thank you Fleetwood Fixtures!