What school store?
It’s like a college students dream. Pizza, ice cream, soda, cough drops, batteries and even condoms – all now for sale right on campus – and at great prices.”Everything is set to be priced competitively,” said Ryan Jacobs, operation sales assistant at the new convenience store in the Campus Center.
Browsing through the shelves that displayed against the walls and on counters, you can find items cheaper than anywhere on campus. At Fireside Café, the Coffee Cottage and the Castleton Village store you can buy a bottled Pepsi for $1.59 and in the vending machines in the dorms you can buy a Pepsi for $1.35, but the convenience store has them for $1.25. Then there are microwaveable burritos for 69 cents, pizza rolls for $2.39 and Roman noodles for 39 cents . There is even a microwave for shoppers to use.
The most common items sold at night are Hot Pockets. Unfortunately there are usually only about five customers per night, said Jacobs. Store officials are hoping for more students to come in when they begin to run out of meals points and have to use cash for things they want.
Jacobs believes the store is so empty because a lot of students don’t know that it’s there, and open, and has lot to choose from.
“What convenience store?” asked sophomore Kenzi McCain when quizzed about it. “You mean the one that is never open?”
The store is not open as much as officials would like it to be, mostly because of lack of customer sales and staff. But they are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Store officials say they hope that once more students know about the store, they will come in and help boost sales, which may lead to additional hours.
One drawback that may be keeping students away is that they cannot use their meal points as money in there, said Jacobs. But even though students have to use their own money, some things may still reel them in.
Kayle Bowker’s face lit up with a smile when she had found out that the store carried ketchup flavored potato chips, which are hard to find.
“I have not been in there yet, but I’ve seen the store it looks nice, but now I might go in to get some things,” said Bowker.
Jacobs hopes she does, and that others follow suit.
“We do have unique things for sale and we are open to suggestions for more items,” said Jacobs.