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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

WWYD - teen running their own tuck shop in school

504 replies

PinkPansies · 08/02/2022 16:06

We've realised recently that ds1 aged 14 has become quite flush with cash (more so than his pocket money would allow anyway!).

On questioning we've discovered that he's quite the entrepreneur and has set up his own tuck shop in school on breaks and lunches. In short, he's been stopping at the local Coop on the way to school and buying sweets and chocolates then selling them to the kids in his year for double the price. Who are more than willing to pay.

From making the odd quid here and there his 'business' has expanded rapidly in the last 3 weeks and he's got quite a following in school - and he's currently making about ten quid A DAY in profit. I can't quite believe the amounts.

He's taking specific requests from kids that get the bus to school so don't have the opportunity to visit a shop and has a price/order list to show his customers and a book with a record of his sales and profits each day 🙈

He's taking it very seriously and is incredibly organised. He's explained to his parents that his profit is limited only by how much stuff he can physically fit in his bag - so he's currently looking at smaller, higher value sweets and sounding our his customers for interest levels.

Parent A and Parent B have different opinions.

Parent A is thrilled, has congratulated their son for his driven, entrepreneurial spirit and told him to crack on...but that he needs to be aware the school will probably give him a detention if he's caught. It's a risk ds is happy to take.

Parent B is amused and a bit impressed but thinks he should stop as obviously the school would frown on this. Haven't seen any specific school rules about this but obviously the school would probably want it stopped!

WWYD?

OP posts:
Electriq · 08/02/2022 18:48

Leave him too it, if/when he gets caught, plead ignorance

Snoopsnoggysnog · 08/02/2022 18:49

@sadpapercourtesan

I don't think I'd be bursting with pride if one of mine thought this was "entrepreneurial". Screwing his mates out of a few quid for crappy chocolate bars. He'd be better off concentrating on his GCSEs.
🤣🤣🤣
Clymene · 08/02/2022 18:49

Let's hope someone doesn't open a Lidl to his Fortnum's.

There's mark up and there's BP

BattleMyDemons · 08/02/2022 18:49

My children think others that buy regularly from children that do this are a bit stupid. 😅 They take sweets, crisps, drinks etc from home , that I’ve bought in multipacks so cheaper, so they don’t have to pay expensive coop/corner shop prices, never mind the over inflated ‘entrepreneurial’ child’s prices.

It’s also ridiculous to suggest that any child doing this, an idea they’ve coped from another child, will definitely be successful in life and will get more from this than their GCSEs. 🤦🏻‍♀️

slimshady18 · 08/02/2022 18:50

@MaggieMooh

If he’s serious about it he’ll have to register and pay tax etc. You can’t just run a business illegally.
Oh get a fucking life
BattleMyDemons · 08/02/2022 18:51

And the new thing to sell at my child’s school is vape kits/accessories. 😬

Pugtails · 08/02/2022 18:53

Nurture his entrepreneurial sprit and he will be successful in working life

edwinbear · 08/02/2022 18:54

I'm with parent A! 12yr old DS has a similar side hustle - he charges 50p to run to and from the school tuck shop to buy stuff for the kids who can't be bothered to go themselves/stand in the queue. He's a very fast runner so manages to get there and back several times in his break and making about £3 a day - which is more than he gets in pocket money. He's also made loads of sixth former mates which can't do him any harm.

toomuchlaundry · 08/02/2022 18:54

Most schools do run enterprise competitions don't they, as part of Business Studies course

Snoopsnoggysnog · 08/02/2022 18:56

Also to those worried about allergies - this is no different to a child at secondary school walking to the local shop and buying sweets or chocolate. Assuming everything’s individually wrapped, the ingredients are plainly there for any buyer to read. He’s not baking cakes and taking those in to sell. And it’s not like he’s selling to nursery school kids.

The only thing he shouldn’t be selling is items with nuts in them for example if the school as a whole has a nut free policy (I’m not sure if this applies to secondary schools, is that just primary?)

crazyjinglist · 08/02/2022 18:56

Parent B.
I'm a teacher. This will be more than a detention, I'd guess.

AnAverageMum · 08/02/2022 18:56

@MaggieMooh
If he’s serious about it he’ll have to register and pay tax etc. You can’t just run a business illegally.

Hahahahahha!!!

WWYD - teen running their own tuck shop in school
silverbubbles · 08/02/2022 18:57

@NeverDropYourMooncup

From experience (we made a fuckton of cash that way decades ago), he needs to never carry more than he can afford to have taken off him in either cash or stock and be prepared to shut down operations in an instant - no credit, no debt, nothing. Strictly cash only at the point of purchase.

Because it's not necessarily a detention he needs to be alert to, it's the arseholes in the year above ganging up to rush him for the food and/or money that they know he's carrying that can be a problem.

this is what you have to talk to him about and then let him crack on.
Puffalicious · 08/02/2022 18:58

@MaggieMooh

If he’s serious about it he’ll have to register and pay tax etc. You can’t just run a business illegally.
ODFOD
MisAnn · 08/02/2022 18:59

My ds did this last summer. Not sweets, mini water guns! Had some nice weather and obviously not allowed super soakers in school Grin. Tesco sold multipacks of mini ones, presumably for party bags. Ds paid £2 for 10 and sold them for £1 each!
It was a one off though, think I'd be worrying he'd get in trouble if he was doing it regularly.

TakeMe2Insanity · 08/02/2022 19:03

@Pugtails

Nurture his entrepreneurial sprit and he will be successful in working life
This!

And yes I’d be parent A!

Tallerthanmost · 08/02/2022 19:03

I'm a teacher with a pastoral / year head role.
As much as it sounds nice and entrepreneurial, my experience is that kids who sell...... carry on selling. Sweets turns into energy drinks then vapes and then thc / vapes / edibles...... Etc.

People looking to shift vape pens to school kids seek out the kids who sell sweets.

I'd get him to focus on setting up done kind of online business, he'll learn more and be less likely to get kicked out of school.

ADisgruntledPelican · 08/02/2022 19:05

The issue isn't really that he's selling sweets. Lots of DCs do it. The problem is that the parents disagree about it. Is it going to cause a massive family drama if he gets into trouble and it's not just a slap on the wrists but something that goes on his permanent record?

RantyAunty · 08/02/2022 19:05

Parent A

I did this when I was in school and my DD and DS did it when they were in school.

DdraigGoch · 08/02/2022 19:06

I'd be getting him a Costco membership for his next birthday

NoLongerTroels · 08/02/2022 19:07

Both my boys did this in high school for a while. Ds1 used to buy a case of skittles from Costco and take a few to school each dat and sell for the same amount as the local shop. He did it for a whole school year before the school asked him not to, so he stopped.
Ds2 and his girlfriend took orders the day before for beef sandwiches, bought beef from the butchers and big soft rolls and her dad would BBQ the meat they made the sandwiches with beef and BBQ sauce and made a killing for nearly a year. They sold for a little less than the schools sandwiches.
I figured they were selling something that kids wanted that wasn't drugs so I was good with this.

toomuchlaundry · 08/02/2022 19:09

I assume Natasha's law would be relevant now @NoLongerTroels

StellaGibs · 08/02/2022 19:09

Is the risk worth it? I think it's clever of him, but it depends at what it will cost him in the long run.

endlesssighing · 08/02/2022 19:09

Good on him. He’s not doing anything untoward is he?

DH did similar in high school except his was cigarettes and it became quite a lucrative business. I’m sure MIL would have far preferred his contraband was sweets!

If this business venture is a genuine interest he’s enjoying and wishes to pursue it could perhaps be a good option for college?

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 08/02/2022 19:10

It’s annoying common in my school and banned. We confiscate the goods and money. I would discourage it and not congratulate.