Simply put, when compared with other university shops, rarely will you find a shop that is an alumni project which was established as a self-sustaining business unit, within the university system, with the aims to promote and develop an institution’s brand.
A word which has become synonymous with the University Shop is sustainability. The merger of Port Elizabeth Technikon (PE Tech) and University of Port Elizabeth (UPE) into one University – Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) – in 2005, led to the University Shop being established. It then had to find its identity, and self-sustain.
“Once executive management had accepted the proposal, the Alumni Association invested the start-up capital to establish the University Shop, as an investment into the future of the merged university by the Association,” says Paul Geswindt who was leading the process at the time and is the current Director of Alumni Relations.
When the name of the university was changed to Nelson Mandela University in 2017 and a new corporate identitywas launched, the University Shop and its products were part of the rebranding exercise. This was another exciting period in the University Shop journey.
The growing variety of university branded items range from leisure and corporate wear, branded gifts, bags and Nelson Mandela University Press books among other things. Branded products can be purchased at the physical Shop or online.
Since the University Shop's establishment in 2005 turnover have increased more than tenfold, contributing to brand awareness and development as well as helping to maintain sustainability.
Considering the market environment, product prices must also be competitive and affordable to the student market which requires a balancing act between cost pressures and pricing to remain sustainable. University Shop surpluses have also been re-invested in the unit so that it can fund its own turnover growth.
The University Shop will be moving to a new premises at newly constructed Science Centre on Ocean Sciences Campus. The new venue will offer bigger display, retail and storage space. A new University Shop manager was recently appointed, Ms Aphiwe Madlavu, who has corporate sector retail experience and qualifications in Marketing, Business Administration and a postgraduate diploma in Enterprise Management.
“The expansion of the product range is also ultimately going to depend on the institution’s ability to produce unique items linked to the academic project and innovative product designs. Online sales are also key to reaching new markets such as the broader public and growing others such as alumni ,” says Geswindt.
“The University Shop has the mandate to offer a service to the University and to develop the brand and all internal and external stakeholders can play a part in ensuring we have maximum impact, especially having the unique and special advantage of being Nelson Mandela University. So, the question remains, how many branded items do you have?"