By Julian Wilson
Staff Writer
The spring semester will be a trying time for the two new student- run shops located in Hillwood Commons. The Student Body, which opened at the end of the fall semester, and the Treat Shoppe will end up proving whether the entrepreneurial forces behind the Commons’ two additions are a hit with students on campus.
The Student Body, the on-campus boutique located on the second floor of the Commons, officially reopened on Jan. 21. The boutique, which was closed during the winter break, held its grand opening on Nov. 12, 2013, with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by students, staff, and visitors. Tamir Dayya, special projects coordinator at Post and manager of the boutique, stated that its sales have developed.
“They’ve been consistent. However, we’re getting the students more and more involved in finding the most effective way to market and increase the sales,” Dayya said. Dayya said that the boutique is “keeping an assortment of inventory and reaching out to students through social media,” he addded.
“There were days last semester when we made sales of about $500 to $600 in one day…We usually make an average of $25 to $30 a day,” said Zaroon Ahsan, a junior Finance and Marketing double major, and also a sales associate at the boutique.
“Daily, we get about 15 people who come and browse in the shop and a few of them make purchases.”
In order to boost sales, Ahsan stated, “We are using social media to promote [the store], like Instagram, Twitter, Foursquare, and Facebook. Other than that, flyers of the boutique are on the information board in Hillwood Commons, and banners are on the doors and glass windows, as well throughout the building.” The boutique will be open this semester from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Along with a clothing store, a sweet shop was recently added on the first floor of Hillwood. Post’s second student-run business, The Post Treat Shoppe, officially opened on Wednesday, Jan. 29, in the former Center for Student Information (CSI) space.
“What sparked the idea was to add something different on campus, that would be convenient enough for students to have, and through some polling, we decided that a treat shop would be something great for students to have,” Dayya said. “We will be working with the cinema [by] accommodating show times with Post Treat Shoppe hours,” he added.
“There were flyers put on residents’ doors before the opening,” said Theresa Frank, a senior Political Science major, who is also a sales associate at the new store. Frank also stated that the Treat Shoppe is managed by a student committee that “deal[s] with marketing, decision making, and communications.” She went on to say, “It’s cool because they’re students here, and they’re different. They also don’t get paid. They’re doing it for experience, which is really cool.”
As for the student employees, “It’s a budget job, and people can apply to work at Post Treat Shoppe through JobNet. [It is] open to all majors, and all levels I believe,” said Frank.
Milton Lawrence Williams III, a senior Early Childhood Education major, believes that the new candy store is a good addition to campus. “It is a great addition to the campus for students to access. There are more snacks inside the store than the little Winnick store and there are healthier choices for students to choose from. I feel like it will be a huge success.”
The Post Treat Shoppe is open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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