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Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Associated Students shops see gains, losses

Lara Rodriguez Patrons at Butte Station buy snacks and drinks. Butte Station did well last year due to an increase in the usage of Flex Dollars.
Lara Rodriguez
Patrons at Butte Station buy snacks and drinks. Butte Station did well last year due to an increase in the usage of Flex Dollars.

The Wildcat Store and the Associated Students Dining Services underwent several changes this summer to boost their revenue.

After the last fiscal year, The Wildcat Store proved to be profitable after expenses, posting $92,877 in gains.

In a continuing effort to offer products students want, two new makeup brands have been added, and products from the Chico Farm are beginning to fill the shelves. New apparel and computer accessories are being added as well.

Apple is no longer the only computer sold through the Wildcat Store. A line of Dell laptops and tablets are now offered, as well as a selection of HP products at the online store.

There have also been changes to the store’s textbook sales. Publishers are now bundling books together and some have digital components which include one-time use only codes.

“This will effectively cut out used books, many rentals, and therefore, the number of places the books will be available,” said Robert Meyers, the Wildcat Store Director, adding that the bundles are often less expensive than the originals and the content can be personalized by professors.

While the digital bundles must be purchased new, bundles of books without digital codes may be rented. Although renting the books isn’t as profitable for the Wildcat Store as selling them, they still offer the option, Meyers said.

Associated Students Dining Services also revamped its business plan and is emphasizing customer service and being sustainable.

Butte Station did well this last year due to an increase in the usage of Flex Dollars, credit for use at Chico State’s on-campus shops given to students who live in the dorms.

Butte Station also expanded offerings, improved “grab and go” food quality and presentation, and marketed itself more effectively said George Rankin, the Director of Associated Students Dining Services.

Butte Station swapped its old coffee brand for Pacific Green, a sustainable brew that has been well received by customers, Rankin said.

“It is important to note that Butte Station is part of the retail dining portfolio which posted improved financial performance this last fiscal year but still operates as a whole at less than break even,” Rankin said.

A.S. also offered students incentives to eat on campus using Retail Dining Dollars, Flex Cash, Craig Dollars and Wildcat Dollars.

Some of the changes that A.S. Dining Services introduced are the new Common Grounds, expanding “Local Lunch,” sushi, and the La Troca Mexican concept.

“We are constantly working on a variety of projects to improve both residential and retail dining,” said Rankin. “We have plans that include mobile carts and changes to our pizza operations.”

 

Jessie Severin can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.

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