*1 Page 6-Saturday, April 16, 1983-The Michigan Daily 'U' shops sell to same market By MIKE AUS You have decided to buy a Michigan sweatshirt as a birthday present for your little sister. You also have decided to buy the shirt from a University-run shop instead of from one of the scores of local retailers who sell items em- blazoned with the Michigan logo. But which University-owned store will you go to? Four weeks ago the Michigan Union opened an expanded version of its Em- blem Shop in a brand-new 1000-square foot facility on the ground floor of the Union. The Union has been selling Michigan memorabilia for about 10 years and the new store offers a selec- tion of over 400 pieces of Michigan paraphernalia. JUST A FEW blocks south on State Street, in Yost Ice Arena, sits the athletic department's M Go Blue Shop, which has been in operation since 1980 and offers many of the same items that can be found in the Emblem Shop. Though the purpose of both shops is to raise revenue for the University depar- tments with which they are associated, there is no connection between the two stores. The proceeds from the M Go Blue Shop go into the athletic depar- tment's scholarship fund, and the profits of the Emblem. Shop help sup- port the Union. The athletic department has long been accused of having interests that are widely disparate with those of the University in general. The athletic budgets are independent of the Univer- sity's General Fund, which is made up of student fees and state aid. General Fund money is used to subsidize the Union. ALTHOUGH THE two stores are competing with one another, ad- ministrators don't mind it. "Sure there's competition," said athletic Director Don Canham. "(But) that's not our concern. There's a lot of gas stations around, too, you know." Mike Palmisano, who manages the M Go Blue Shop welcomed the new store in the Union. "The more the merrier for Ann Arbor," he said. PALMISANO said that competition between the shops will not be a problem because of the stores' locations and clientele. "We don't draw too many students down here," he said. "Most of the people we get are alums and town- speople." The Emblem Shop, on the other hand, hopes to attract a large number of students. Gary Treer, the ad- ministrator in charge of retail stores for the Union, said that "students make up the Emblem Shop's market. Treer said that an effort to improve the shop's service to student's was, in part, responsible for the decision to expand. "We wanted to offer a good selection of Michigan type items to the students," he said. Treer said the lack of rivalry to the existence of a market for Michigan paraphernalia is large enough to com- fortably accomodate both shops. He said that a supplier has told him that Michigan is within the top few schools in the nation for selling such items. TREES SAID that the Emblem Shop's new location will be a great benefit to the store. "Our location is real good. There's a lot of reasons to come to the Union and they're in- creasing all the time," he said. Treer expects the business to do especially well once the renovation of the Union is complete in the fall. For the 1983-84 fiscal year, Treer said that he would like to see the Emblem Shop do $150,000 of business. The M Go Blue Shop last year netted about $70,000 Canham said. Treer is pleased with the business that the store has done already. "Business has been picking up quickly. We're doing better than expected," he said. Bruce Weinberg, manager of the University Cellar said that he expects the Emblem Shop to present his store with considerable competition. He said that the Emblem Shop's home in the Union will give the store an advantage. "It's a decent location, but they're not as big as we are," he said. "We're one year more experienced than they are. We'll have to wait and see," Weinberg said. 'i ' . F 0 The Union's Emblem Shop, one of Michigan clothing and souvenirs. Daily Photo by DAVID FRANKEL two University-affiliated stores selling Union renovation projects near completion (Continued from Page 1) Club, which was restored with its original ceiling and floor, new tables, and chairs, acoustic paneling, and other subtle changes. But U-Club manager Michael Crabb says there is more to the club's success than its new appearance. "It's a com- bination of new menus, new attitudes, new programming, and the new look," I KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ANN ARBOR THIS SUMMER S Sc to 3 days a week: Tues, Thurs, Sat Cost: $2.50 Spring Half Term $2.50 Summer Half Term $3.50 Both $5.00 by Mail Outside A2 All Must Be Prepaid he said. "We're doing close to 300 a day for lunch and we were totally packed everywhere for Michigras." Crabb added that stricter enfor- cement of the legal drinking age has not hurt business. "We still have a line out the door for Happy Hour, and only let people in as others come out," he said. THE U-CLUB will be joined this spring by the Terrace, where the original entrance, leaded glass, and other details are being restored. The food service extension will again be serving meals outdoors during warm weather. The first of the shops on the ground floor, the Emblem Shop, opened in March. The Union's ticket operations moved to the ground floor late in March, five months after it was scheduled to make the switch from its spot on the first floor. THE TICKET center was originally planned to be placed underneath the stairwell on the ground floor, but that space was given to the Union Stop, the candy and sundry shop now on the first floor. Cianciola said the switch was made because the space beneath the stairwell is better suited to a shop which depends more on visibility for sale of "impulse items." "People are already drawn to the ticket operation," he said. Tickets Office Manager Michelle Babezewski said there are problems Medical Opportunities White sandy beaches, Warm Gulf: breezes ... ..mix perfectly w.~ith medical careers at L. W BLAKE HOSPITAL And our procedural & technological sophistication will blend even better with your career goals. Our 298 bed, expanding to 383 bed, full-service facility is J.C.A.H., accredited and enjoys strong support from the surrounding community. Naturally we provide competitive salaries and all the benefits associated with a progressive hospital. Your career as a medical professional will flourish ... and so will your lifestyle ... in our near perfect climate! Contact: Personnel Dept. L.W. BLAKE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL 2020 - 59th Street West Bradenton, Florida 33529 (813) 792-6611 HCA H pCorporation equal opportunity employer with the renovations done on the center. BESIDES delays in relocating the ticket center, Babezewski said workers cannot reach customers because the counter is too wide. Also, she said, the chairs do not fit under the counter and a cabinet for the ticket printer and com- puter terminal does not fit in the space available. She said it is nearly im- possible for workers to reach the com- puter. For some reason, the custom cabinetry was placed in the ticket cen- ter first and the walls built around it. But most Union workers are en- thusiastic about the progress. Campus Information Center (CIC) director Art Lerner said his operation is already doing well. LERNER SAID the service handled 8,000 calls per month when it moved to the Union last June. Now, he said, CIC gets about 20,000 contacts each month. Correction The University delegation to the Model United Nations in NeWv York City worked from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., each day. Their schedule was incorrectly reported in yesterday's Daily. Lerner said the success is due to bet-W ter visibility within the Union and around the University. He compared the information center with a similar operation at the University of Wiscon- sin, which "took 10 years to get 100,000 annual calls." The "new" Union, especially the U- Club and the recently-opened com- puting center in the basement, is being met with general enthusiasm from students. UNION BOARD student represen- tative Kathy Hartrick, an LSA Senior, said despite delays she is very happy with the work. "It looks fan- tastic .. . compareU to ten years ago the Union has had a great turnaround," she said. "It's good to see it happening," said freshman John Raihala. "When I came for orientation I was wondering how long it would take. It really looks good." For, other students who have waited to see the result of months of contruc- tion, Cianciola said a second wave of changes are on the way. THE ORIGINAL plans will be com- pleted within the $4.6 million budget, Cianciola said, with enough left over to construct a mini mall and a concourse from the ground floor restaurant to the computing center. He said the new work will be completed no later than January, 1984. Don Root, architect for the firm han dling the renovations, also said he was pleased with the progress. The firm, TMP Associates, reviews the project once a week. "Right now it's excellent," Root said. He said the builders have succeeded in maintaining "the original flavor (of the 1916 Union) with the coved ceilings, wood paneling, and tiled floors." Cianciola says the renovations have given the building a new, more sophisticated look which is increasing. student activity and interest in the Union. "It's important that people not judge (the Union) as just a building," he said. "It's an organization, an attitude, and a program." 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