The Earth Centre, a new student-run campus retail store selling specifically eco-friendly products, opened Wednesday in the basement of Macgillivray-Brown Hall at the corner of Barrie and Earl streets.
The Earth Centre’s aim is to provide environmentally friendly alternatives to commonly used products, such as printer paper, light bulbs and household cleaners.
Seeing as how the service is stuck in the basement of a building unfamiliar to most students, the most important thing they have to do right now is make sure students know where they are. For any retail space, location is key—unfortunately, the basement of Macgillivray-Brown Hall isn’t going to attract any window shopping passersby. If it’s to be successful, the Earth Centre needs to publicize and advertise its existence. Selling students on the products, rather than the store, is one idea which may prove to be effective. Setting up floating stands with select products and information occasionally
around campus, in high traffic areas such as the JDUC, could work to attract people to the products and then develop an interest, familiarity and loyalty to the store. Using other AMS services, such as the Tricolour Market, to advertise the store and showcase products (with countertop displays, for
example) would also get the word out. Allowing for online browsing and purchasing, with in-store pick-up, could also compensate for the Centre’s low-traffic location—so long as the website is effectively promoted.
The Earth Centre is a fantastic idea which encourages students to think about the impact their purchases have on the environment and hopefully students will support it. What the Earth Centre needs to do now is make sure they know where to go.
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