The ceiling lights are turned off and replaced with colorful LED lighting. The aroma of warm cookies permeates the store. Upbeat music plays to enhance the cheerful ambiance set by all of the staff. At the door stands a friendly greeter directing customers to the next available cashier. Customers have availability to a wide variety of goods, including snacks, candy, beverages and school apparel. 

The three student-run school stores are open for business for the 2024-25 school year and welcome students, staff and parents to shop for their favorite gear, supplies and snacks.

At these stores, students get to work, manage, and maintain them throughout the year.

Payton Kitchen, Canton senior and general manager of The Canton Connection oversees and directs all aspects of the store. “I go through and I’m looking over classmates and the other managers to make sure that they’re aiding their classmates in the best way possible,” says Kitchen, currently the lone general manager of any of the three stores.

The Canton Connection and The Den at PHS have the same process for acquiring general managers. Jaime Scappaticci, Canton marketing teacher, says “If [students] are able to get into regular marketing as a sophomore, then their junior year they can take Advanced Marketing, and then their senior year, they could take a class called Marketing Management, which is still a two-hour block, just like Advanced Marketing,” 

The Den has no one returning from Advanced Marketing to take Marketing Management says Tyra Johnson, Plymouth Marketing teacher, but there are still people taking on leadership responsibilities.

“We do have a shift leader,” says Plymouth senior Davion Boyd. “A shift leader is like a manager. They can help with [getting] the money or help with anything that is needed in the school store, [and] everybody does have to take on that role.”

At Salem’s Rock Shop, the general managers are chosen differently, says Salem marketing teacher Cristina Scappaticci.  “I wait for like the first quarter, and I watch how my students work and how they get along with people and their team-building skills,” says the 14-year veteran teacher. “That’s when I choose my managers.” 

Salem seniors Katie Sarkesian, Dominic Chaput and Canton senior Heidi Kasten are all being considered for the position.

Every year the management teams of all three schools consider changes to make with the aim to update and improve the shopping experience for students and staff.

In The Canton Connection, physical changes are being made. “I changed the layout of the store, how things are separated, and having three [registers] instead of just two, [which lead to] clogging up the flow of traffic and having spaces that [were not being] used,” says Kitchen.

Another improvement at The Canton Connection is the selection of name brands for the majority of its apparel, such as Nike and Carhartt. Kitchen also says The Canton Connection is working with local businesses to create new merchandise for students.

The Canton Connection has also started making its own specialty beverages. “That’s something that last year, after we [were] stopped [from] being able to [sell] Encore,” an energy drink, so the team went “through the [decision-making] process and we created our own specialty drinks,” says Kitchen.

Meanwhile, The Den is putting more emphasis on creating a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere for its visitors. “[Customers] should just come in and talk to us. It’s normal and [customers should] get their stuff and just be welcome, be open to shopping at The Den,” says Boyd.

Boyd also wants to enhance the visual atmosphere of The Den, “I wanted to be more decorative and creative instead of just being, like, so bland.”

At The Rock Shop, the students are changing products with their target audience of high school students in mind. “We’ve changed a [majority] of our spirit wear to match what [high schoolers] like,” says Sarkesian.

Sarkesian also explains that they are stocking their snacks, candies and beverages based on demand. As for The Rock Shop’s beverages, “We noticed what drinks were selling and what weren’t,” with the team making decisions to “get rid of the ones that weren’t selling from last year.”

Although the three stores offer a variety of unique features to enhance the customer experience, one thing they all have in common is that everyone loves the cookies the school stores sell.