Despite its challenges, Tricolour Outlet is stronger than ever

Amidst upheaval, employees at Tricolour Outlet are learning on the job.

In the late 2000s, the AMS had three student-run services in the JDUC, each running overall net deficits. This posed the threat of potential closure of the services.

Each service had a different purpose: Destinations provided convenient transportation, the Used Bookstore provided sustainability by reselling old textbooks at a reduced cost, and Tricolour Outfitters offered affordable clothing and merchandise meant to instill school pride.

These three services brought life and immense value to the JDUC and to the student population as a whole. Closing them wasn’t an option. In an effort to save the services, the AMS Board of Directors amalgamated them into what was then known as the AMS Merchandise Service (TAMS). Following this in September 2010, Tricolour Outlet was born.

The now consolidated Tricolour Outlet helped reduce operating costs, saving roughly $60,000 when all three TAMS services were combined. Tricolour was a place where students could purchase bus tickets, event tickets, textbooks, and Queen’s merchandise—the store was quickly established as a one-stop-shop for all.

As the years went on, Tricolour became a favoured institutional staple of the student population. With its central location in the Erickson Wing of the JDUC, Tricolour Outlet was an easy commute from all parts of campus.

With COVID-19 on the horizon, new challenges were about to dawn on Tricolour.

When the pandemic sent students home, university and AMS services were shut down, including the Outlet. Soon after, the JDUC was set for reconstruction, and Tricolour Outlet was forced to relocate into the Queen’s Centre before being relocated a second time to the Rideau Building later that year.

Despite multiple relocations, Tricolour Outlet has remained a strong service that fosters community and inclusiveness for its customers. Despite the difficult journey, managers and staff have bonded through shared initiative, while learning new skills from the experience of relocating a retail service.

In April 2022, Tricolour Outlet closed its storefront for the month and moved next door to the Queen’s Centre. The store’s inventory was counted and sealed in boxes, and over a month everything was moved to a new location for the summer.

It was exciting to discover some old clothing and merchandise tucked away in storage rooms that had been phased out of the service. It was inspiring to watch the head manager flawlessly lead the relocation and use the opportunity to connect with the staff and show appreciation for everyone’s hard work.

On the last day of the move, an almost-forgotten item that had been passed down from each management team was rediscovered, found in a secret location by myself and the head manager—a mannequin arm with signatures spiraling around it from every management team since the service opened. It was a heartwarming end to the move to know traditions would be carried into the unpredictable future.

As expected, operating in the Queen’s Centre was tricky, to say the least.

Different parts of the store existed in several places. The storefront on the first floor, the back shop on the second, and an extra storage unit in the building’s loading dock. With inventory and staff spread throughout the building, operating at standard efficiency was difficult.

The managers at the time were cognizant of the situation and took strategic measures to aid operating efficiency. They implemented walkie-talkies to streamline communication, which helped ease the burden on staff who were running up and down stairs to talk to one another.

Despite some difficulties, the Queen’s Centre’s high traffic volume was a huge benefit to Tricolour Outlet. Unfortunately, settling into the Queen’s Centre was never the first, or permanent, solution.

Tricolour was forced to relocate again once the Rideau Building became available at the end of September. It was no longer reasonable to occupy spaces other students and clubs needed in the Queen’s Centre, and it was all hands-on deck for a second relocation.

Tricolour Outlet had to close for 10 days to transfer to one of the most southern points of Queen’s campus. In the midst of the hard work, sweat, and exhaustion of the move, new and fun learning opportunities arose.

Managers and staff got the opportunity to drive a massive U-Haul, as well as reorganize a store while considering factors such as aesthetics, flow of traffic, and accessibility. The managers and staff worked together to create a warm and welcoming environment by implementing Tricolour’s vintage theme into the storefront. Everyone was challenged with designing the store with less than half the space once occupied in the JDUC.

During this time, the head manager acted as the brains behind the operation, but enormous credit is due to the hard-working staff who were diligent and enthusiastic throughout moving week, without whom the relocation would’ve been impossible.

Tricolour staff worked tirelessly over many days to ensure the new, small, garage storefront emitted a beautiful, inclusive, and upbeat atmosphere. We’re proud to call it home.

Despite the struggles of maintaining equal levels of student engagement in yet another location, the tight-knit culture at Tricolour grew stronger during all the relocations. The small garage brought a sense of coziness, with creative decorations made by staff adorning the store. Spatially, the size brought staff and customers together, forming warm connections.

This positive energy remained throughout the year and continued into the following term when the new management team took over in May 2023.

It’s safe to say despite the moves, the morale among Tricolour employees has never been better. Although obstacles with storage and overall store engagement are still a challenge, the foundations of our culture continue to improve.

This year in particular, our staff have stepped up. They have gone above and beyond to model and show their pride in the Tricolour brand. Not only did this initiative improve our social media presence, we are now able to better connect with the broad diversity of students who call our campus home.

Despite reduced customer levels in the Rideau Building, managers continue seeking out learning experiences we can provide to staff and supervisors.

Although two different teams of managers, supervisors, and staff have played various roles during the service’s relocations, there are common experiential learning qualities obtained by us all. Chief among them is resilience and willpower.

We’re excited to return to the JDUC and feel a sense of normalcy for the first time since 2019. Tricolour Outlet is more than just a store that sells clothes—students cherish the products they buy from our shop for a lifetime.

Every sweater, bucket hat, or t-shirt holds significant memories for people who called Queen’s University their home. Whether you’re an incoming student, just finishing your degree, or somewhere in the middle, Tricolour Outlet is your one-stop-shop, ready to provide each customer with their own unique experience.

Ayan is a fourth-year biology student and the Tricolour Outlet head manager.  

Tags

AMS services, JDUC, Rideau Hall, Tricolour Outlet

All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.

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