The Uni Store is an on-campus retail outlet conveniently located in The Link (G07) precinct, servicing predominantly Griffith University students and staff as well as Gold Coast Hospital staff. The Uni Store sells stationery, uni merchandise, cold drinks, snacks, bulk confectionery, various gifts and souvenirs, and phone and tech accessories.
Debby Hague Manager The Uni Store
The Uni Store had several key objectives for 2019. Uppermost was a determination to maximise revenue from an enhanced range of Griffith University Gold Coast (GUGC) branded merchandise (including logo wear), being made available. This was achieved by sourcing several new suppliers and inviting customers to have a say in what they would like to see in the new merchandise range. As a result, sales increased by 24.3% across these product ranges, increasing revenue to just under $94,000, with a sales increase of $18,476 up on the previous year. A continued expansion of the shop area allocated to GUGC merchandise was required to support this increased demand. The Uni Store also sought to enhance its profile with staff and students via a stronger social media following. To achieve this, instore promotions and online competitions were conducted, primarily through the Facebook page. Facebook followers increased by 162 during the year. The continued success of the Staff VIP Day was also a priority. This special event, held annually, with discounts for staff and students saw a small improvement from 2018. A new initiative this year was to extend the discount to staff from the nearby Health Precinct. The Uni Store set a budget of $7,000 for this event. This goal was set to better the 2018 sales of $6,701.11. The Staff VIP Day held on 6 December 2019 was very successful, achieving $7,083.99 in sales. The Uni Store continued to further improve the range of bulk confectionery on offer. In 2019 bulk confectionery sales amounted to $129,899, up by $3,000 on 2018. Bulk confectionery was the top seller for dollar value in 2019 with a profit of $66,974.
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Although total drink transaction numbers were down by 700 in 2019, The Uni Store still saw a total of 40,309 sold and the total department sales were up by over $6,000. People are moving more towards healthier options which tend to have a higher RRP than that of traditional soft drinks. Unfortunately, stationery, newspapers and magazines saw a further decline in 2019 due to more people moving towards digital platforms for their study and news. Sales for technology products were also disappointing as more suppliers expanded into the technology business, driving cost and sales prices down. Technology is also more readily available at other retail outlets such as department stores and supermarkets, often at a cheaper price point than that viable for The Uni Store.
Bulk confectionery sold 5,700kg GUGC merchandise sold 4,517 units Staff VIP Day total sales 6% increase on 2018