Rice University Campus Store to celebrate grand reopening Sept. 16

Customers can expect new services, more merchandise and extended hours

By Kendall Schoemann

After a few months of renovations, the former Rice Bookstore and Recharge U have merged and reopened under new management as the Rice University Campus Store to deliver a cohesive experience for students, alumni, faculty, staff and visitors.

“Now that we’re a one-stop shop, we have the flexibility to fulfill more customer needs and streamline the checkout line,” said Matt Erskin, manager of the Rice University Campus Store, which is now operated by Follett Corp. “We’re excited for the opportunity to integrate into campus life by extending hours, offering new services and events and a larger spectrum of merchandise.”

In addition to the store in Rice Memorial Center (RMC), Erskin manages The Owl Zone, a new store in Rice Stadium.

To mark the reopening, both store locations will throw celebrations. The RMC store will host a ceremony Sept. 16 at 10:30 a.m. that will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, an appearance by Sammy the Owl and a performance by the Mariachi Luna Llena. Later that day, the Rice Stadium store will celebrate during the football game against Baylor University, which kicks off at 7 p.m. The first 20 fans through the store will receive door-buster discounts.

While the grand reopening is set for later this week, the store already rolled out a variety of new student services at the start of the semester.

“One of the great new services we offer is our textbook delivery program,” Erskin said. “Students can order books through the campus store website, and we will deliver the order to their college free of charge.”

The store has already made about 100 book deliveries since the start of the school year. Customers can also receive a price match on book prices within one week of purchase if they find a better deal via Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Chegg after the fill-and-ship price.

Students and alumni can now purchase Rice residential college merchandise that can be customized for apparel, mugs, decals and more.

“In addition to fulfilling students’ needs, the store also offers a variety of new services for faculty, staff and alumni, from book-signing events like a visit from Rice author Robert Flatt later this month to the ability to completely customize branded products,” said Beth Leaver, senior operations manager for housing and dining and campus store contract administrator.

Through the store’s Advanced-Online partnership, set to go live this semester, the Rice community can customize and order Rice-branded products, such as business cards and department apparel. Previously, these orders needed to meet a minimum quantity and were fulfilled through external vendors.

To ensure the store continues to meet the campus’s needs, an advisory committee of students, faculty, staff and store management will meet biannually to determine ongoing advancements.

Student opinion will also be gathered throughout the year as the store hopes to hire more student employees.

“We prefer to hire student employees,” Erskin said. “We’re an informational hub on campus, and no one has more insider Rice knowledge than students.”

The Rice University Campus Store is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m. Shop Rice gear online at www.shopriceu.com and www.shopriceowls.com.

—Kendall Schoemann is a staff writer in the Office of Public Affairs.