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Original poster

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:
Foijkl · 09/02/2022 17:56

@SNUG2022

He will get in big trouble, so only advice is don't get caught. Hide the cash and keep it separate from the stash. Don't carry too much stock. Say it's his own supply. Don't eat all of the supply.
This sounds like advice for a drug dealer Grin
janj2301 · 09/02/2022 17:56

My daughter did this at boarding school, every time she came home we'd do a large shop at Costco. School had their own tuck shop she under cut. They never found out or said anything. She didn't make a mint but some pocket money and enjoyed it.

Repecka · 09/02/2022 17:58

@ChargingBuck it isn’t just about tax threshold. There are other laws.
You’re right that he could make a business…and probably should!

Londoncallingme · 09/02/2022 18:09

I’m parent B - we’ll done but if it’s not allowed then don’t do it.
I know it’s really really extreme but after school it’s easy to make a lot of money from selling Thai G’s that you’re not allowed to sell! Drugs/weapons/counterfeit etc. it’s extreme but it’s the same business model.

Itwasntmeright · 09/02/2022 18:12

Fairplay to him, he will be a millionaire by the time he’s 20. Take him down the cash and carry.

StormBaby · 09/02/2022 18:13

Parent A. My stepson did this and he made a fortune. He also had a part time job at a well known pizza restaurant. They were given a pizza free every night to eat-he would wrap and refrigerate his instead and sell cold to his mates at a £1 a slice. 🤣 He got a first in statistics at LSE and is now an investment banker.

Kinko · 09/02/2022 18:15

I'm parent A.

If he gets caught and in trouble - then he faces the consequences and stops. But buying something and selling it at a higher value is not illegal! It's how all commercial markets work. He's learning.

mumoftinyterrors · 09/02/2022 18:17

@PinkPansies

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?

I'm going to assume Parent A is his father and Parent B is his mother 🤣🤣🤣

My husband would definitely be Parent A in this situation

C152 · 09/02/2022 18:22

That's fantastic! I'm with Parent A.

Why would DS get a detention if the school cottoned on to his mini enterprise? I can understand him getting in trouble if selling anything on school grounds is specifically prohibited but, if not, I'd expect them to give him a warning (and a quiet, off the record 'congratulations'!) before taking any further action.

LovelyIssues · 09/02/2022 18:23

I think he sounds brilliant!

Suzanne999 · 09/02/2022 18:28

Parent A. Well done that lad. Didn’t either Branson or Sugar start like this?

BooneyBeautiful · 09/02/2022 18:31

@Crabwoman

My brother used to do this outside of the school gates. The teachers used to buy of him. 🙈
My son used to do it too, but on a much smaller scale. I remember being quite impressed at the time.
Blossom64265 · 09/02/2022 18:33

Vapes?

I just looked through our student rule book.
Possessing just one on our campus is explicitly forbidden at our school. The first offense for one is multi-day suspension.

Dealing, it would depend on if they counted each deal as an offense. It looks like they might require things like long-term suspension, a treatment program, or even expulsion.

I should mention that in our area, it is criminal for a minor to possess a vape or vape liquid so they could also just call the police.

The only rules about snacks are that they can only be consumed at designated times, not during passing periods.

WoodstockJ · 09/02/2022 18:33

There are always a few kids at our local school who do this. Not sure what the schools position on it is, either they don’t care or they don’t know.
Personally, I wouldn’t want my kids doing it but it’s harmless and very entrepreneurial!

Oblomov22 · 09/02/2022 18:34

This thread is unbelievable. One saying he needs to set himself up as self employed. Others saying he'll get into trouble? FFS Hmm

YippieKayakOtherBuckets · 09/02/2022 18:48

Obviously if the OP's son started stealing his stock rather than buying it, or bullying / intimidating younger or vulnerable children into buying it, that would be an appropriate point for the school to intervene.

I appreciate your response, @RocketAndAFuckingMelon, but you changed my 'when' to an 'if' and I am going to change it back again.

It is absolutely inevitable that this activity will escalate into numerous potentially dangerous situations if left unchecked, although from the OP's point of view her DS probably won't be directly involved in many of them.

The first thing that will happen is that other students will get wind of the scheme and want in. Some enterprising type will realise that the maximum profit margin comes when you steal your stock from the local shops. There will be turf wars between rival sellers. Sellers and customers carrying cash will become targets for theft and intimidation (there's a very good reason why most secondary schools are cashless). In the most serious cases the businesses will graduate to selling vapes and drugs and the sellers become targets for county lines.

If I worked in OP's DS's school I wouldn't be too worried about him. He clearly has supportive, loving parents who are looking out for him. It's my job to think ahead to the consequences for the most vulnerable students. It's marvellous that most MNers on this thread inhabit lovely cosy worlds where an illicit tuck business mean nothing more than a jolly schoolboy jape but it would be helpful if we could knock off the wide-eyed 'but whyyyyyyy would schools object to this?' when I and several others have explained very clearly that it's our job to nip potentially harmful situations in the bud. If that makes me a 'buttoned up' 'misery' (q.v.) then so bloody be it.

Tessabelle74 · 09/02/2022 18:54

I'm with parent A but would explain any consequences are on his head

Kteeb1 · 09/02/2022 19:01

My two boy teens did this. Made quite a bit. Then the school found out (we didn't know into they did) because everyone started doing it and vying for business! All got banned. They tried to carry it on before school but everyone got bored of it after while. This was 15 years ago! One of them runs his own business now and always says that was his first venture. As long as they are not being mean about it they will either get bored or the school will put a stop to it.

Vynalbob · 09/02/2022 19:08

Parent C
Happy at his enterprise.
Tell him it's his decision but
Remind him he might get stopped/ punished by the school & if he does he will have to stop.

but def not parent B

wellstopdoingitthen · 09/02/2022 19:10

My eldest did this at school. Took orders & had many teachers as his best customers. He bought his PS3 & an electric guitar with his earnings (over a couple of years.
One day I received a call from the head of year to say that he was breaking the rules. I did point out to her that many staff were customers but that he would stop. He stopped (teachers & kids moaned)).
Second son starts in his school but told after 2 weeks it's not allowed. He was miffed!
If the school objects they have to stop. If school are fine so am I.

Shona52 · 09/02/2022 19:11

I use to do this when I was at school. My dad use to work in Scotland during the week and fly home at the weekend (till we could all move to Scotland). He use to bring home items you could only get from there and I used to sell them in school). I think it's great but there could be issues with the schools now a days having a lot more red tape. Perhaps he can do it out of hours ie before and after school and not on school premises. But I would encourage them to do it

mylifestory · 09/02/2022 19:24

@MaggieMooh

If he’s serious about it he’ll have to register and pay tax etc. You can’t just run a business illegally.
I doubt he is earning over the £12k+ threshold. Are for real?
Pinklemonade1 · 09/02/2022 19:29

I know someone who was expelled for doing this.

PlntLady · 09/02/2022 19:29

😂 boy after my own heart! Honestly, me and my brother did this sort of thing. Although I think we took it a bit too far, selling cigarettes... and erm... well many other items that certainly would have been frowned on.
If I could speak to those teenagers now I would congratulate them on their entrepreneurial spirt, but explain that its a) probably not quite right but more importantly b) point out the wider opportunities that are out there today. It's pretty easy to get into investment on the internet and to trade in NFTs. Both can be really very lucrative if you're willing to put in the time and effort... much more so than a tuck shop. And the bit your DS would really like - he wont be limited by what he can fit in his school bag.
Essentially praise him and redirected on to a much more lucrative path.

Londoncallingme · 09/02/2022 19:40

Unless you’re selling something that is against the rules of the school -?training for selling things against the rules/laws of society. It’s not allowed. Don’t encourage him to do it.