On Campus C-Stores continued...

Another major benefit of on-campus C-Stores is that they can also help boost sales of commuter student meal plans. If well situated, the C-Store can draw students who live off-campus, allowing them to purchase meals or food items on their way home, rather than having go out of their way to a grocery store.

The University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens has been in the convenience store market for years. “We see it largely as a service issue,” Michael Floyd, UGA’s Director of Food Services, said of the campus C-Store. “What we find is that the vast majority of our customers (at the East Village Commons) are not on our meal plans, so our convenience store really serves our off-campus students and those living in the East Campus Village.”

Mr. Floyd continued, “At the same time it’s a nice boost to our revenue stream with a la carte sales. Location is key at UGA and on most campuses. Our Village Market convenience store is just a few steps away from a major campus bus stop, a huge workout facility and an under- construction art center, not to mention the 1,200-bed upperclassmen housing. We have a huge built-in audience to work with and if we don’t provide the convenience aspects, they’ll go to a nearby store that does and we’ll lose that revenue stream.”

Michael Floyd put it most succinctly for any C-Store operation, on-campus or off. “It’s all about pleasing your customer and that means keeping a close watch on what your customers are buying and asking for and adjusting your stock to put their preferences front and center for them. That’s smart marketing, good dining services management and profitable”.