One Stop Elf Shop Caters to Young Holiday Gift Buyers
For the little folks who want to surprise the special people in their lives with holiday gifts, a team of “elves” stands ready to assist.
Beginning Saturday, November 19 and continuing through Saturday, December 17, the One Stop Elf Shop will offer wee people a shopping place just for them, and sworn-to- secrecy helpers to assist in gift selection. Once their gifts have been chosen, children have the option of creating their own gift wrap or gift bags, too.
Mrs. Claus will greet the little shoppers on Saturday, December 17 with Cookie decorating. Appleton Downtown Inc. (ADI) offers the free service to the public during its Indoor Farm Market from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Now in its third year, the One Stop Elf Shop moves to a new location inside City Center, in a storefront space next to Squires Stylists. Students from the Willems Student Marketing Team and Valley New School will provide elf services, and help oversee the shop’s operation, including managing inventory, staffing the shop during open hours, and making the experience fun for the young shoppers.
Items offered in the shop are priced under $10 to keep gifts affordable for young shoppers. And the experience helps children learn to manage their money. “The One Stop Elf Shop provides a fun and safe place for kids to shop for their loved ones,” says Anne Wiegman, Marketing Director for ADI. “Not only do the children get to make their gift selections, but then they also can express their creativity by decorating gift bags or wrapping paper for their gifts.” Parents or a responsible party must wait for the children, and a lounge area will be available close by for their convenience.
Young shoppers can look forward to finding many new surprises as additional merchants add items to the store’s inventory, according to Wiegman. Leading the list of participating retailers are Boardlandia, Crazy Sweet, Beatnik Betty’s Resale Butik, Items of Interest, Mystical Earth Gallery, The Vintage Garden, Vagabond Imports, Lillian’s of Appleton, and Sonnet’s Garden & Blooms. “Our retailers offer some pretty fun items for the children to choose,” Wiegman says. “Store participation is really key to the success of the One Stop Elf Shop.”
In addition to the gifts inside the Shop, Downtown gift certificates will be for sale outside the Elf Shop for the convenience of shoppers of all ages. A coin wishing vortex also will be posted nearby for children to enjoy.
Information on the One Stop Elf Shop is available by contacting ADI at 920-954- 9112, djuanna@appletondowntown.org, or on social media @OneStopElfShop on Twitter and Instagram. ADI is a non-profit advocacy source for the businesses and merchants of Downtown Appleton, presenting the weekly Downtown Appleton Indoor Winter Farm Market and a host of other events. For more information about ADI and/or a complete listing of upcoming Downtown happenings, visit ADI’s website, www.appletondowntown.org, or check them out on Facebook at Appleton Downtown Fan Page, or on Twitter @dwtnappleton.