The budget crisis spread to Price Center last Tuesday, when UCSD Bookstore and Perks Coffee Shop unveiled new business hours. Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs Steven Relyea attributed the changes to the nation’s current economic downturn.
Previously, the bookstore’s hours were 8 a.m. to’ 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6′ p.m. on Sunday.
The hours have been changed to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends.
The coffee shop’s hours used to be 7 a.m. to’ 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The hours have been changed to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon to 5 p.m on Saturday and Sunday.
Additionally, prices of products that have not sold well ‘mdash; mainly electronics and apparel ‘mdash; have continued to drop since a general downtrend in purchases began in November, UCSD Bookstore Director John Turk said.
The bookstore has managed to break even by decreasing expenditures at about the same 3.5 percent rate at which sales have waned since November, and has avoided filling 12 career employee vacancies ‘mdash; along with 15 student position vacancies ‘mdash; in an attempt to cut costs.
Though no employees have been laid off due to the cutback in hours,’ three cashiers have been moved to the bookstore-owned Sunshine Market, which has maintained normal hours.’ ‘
The bookstore has significantly dropped prices for electronics and apparel and temporarily decreased inventory by lowering the amount of products and increasing the frequency of purchases. This allows the bookstore to buy at discount from its vendors while better meeting the rate of student demand.
‘The breadth is the same but the depth is less,’ Turk said.
The ripple effects of a failing economy have caused a general decline in department spending at the bookstore, a major source for faculty electronics, Turk said.
While Turk said he noticed an increase in school spirit over the last few years, students are buying fewer logoed products ‘mdash; such as hooded sweatshirts ‘mdash; indicating not a loss in interest, but less financial freedom to act upon it.
‘We want to make sure to do everything we can to provide a lower price during difficult economic times, but we need to know if the customers coming to the bookstore have stopped buying and still browse or have stopped coming,’ Turk said. ‘They’re still coming and they’re still shopping, but they’re not buying as much.’
Unlike the bookstore, Perks Coffee Shop and the Sunshine Market are currently receiving more business than before the recession forced students to cut back on spending. The coffee shop’s schedule changes primarily reflect greater economy with the bookstore and learning to match peak demand hours for its clientele.
Since the bookstore has a general history of steady growth, Turk said he expects this setback to be temporary. Despite a drop in freshman enrollment, Turk is hopeful that the construction of on-campus housing will bolster sales at the bookstore. Because students in the dorms spend more per capita than those living off campus, Turk said he expects demand to rise.
The reduced hours will continue through the summer. In July, Turk will consult with university officials about Fall Quarter hours ‘mdash; which, once decided, will go into effect by mid-September.
Readers can contact Henry Becker at [email protected].