Orange and white balloons, trays of Tiff’s Treats cookies and families carrying bags of UT merchandise filled the space of the newly renovated University Co-op on Friday.
The University Co-op underwent a six-month renovation and celebrated the store’s remodeling on Friday, Aug. 23. The UT merchandise retailer donates 100% of its profit to University Co-op course material scholarships. Addressing deferred maintenance in the space, the renovation also increased sales and thereby scholarship funding.
Mathematics sophomore Phoenix Mitchell received a UT For Me textbook scholarship last and this academic year. Through the Co-op’s partnership with UT For Me, UT For Me students receive a yearly $250 scholarship credit to purchase course materials at the Co-op.
“Coming from a poor family, money is really tight, so I was hesitant to spend it on textbooks,” Mitchell said. “But I was able to pay by using my UT For Me (textbook) scholarship. With the money that I didn’t spend on textbooks, I was able to get (a) calculator that I needed for an exam.”
In 2021, the Co-op partnered with Longhorn Textbook Access, a platform where students can purchase digital textbooks and other supplemental online materials. The program allowed students to purchase online course materials at the lowest digital price, saving students a total of over $1.5 million. Additionally, about 7,000 students received course material scholarships, according to Cheryl Phifer, Co-op President and CEO.
Ensuring an elevated shopping experience, the renovation includes new fixtures, lighting, flooring, painted walls and an improved check-out system that aids customers quickly getting through registers. Additionally, the academic floor now offers over-the-counter services for checking out textbooks.
Emily Phonsnasinh, a sales associate at the Co-op and a psychology and sociology senior, said the renovation makes navigating the store easier for customers and helps employees assist shoppers with their needs. In addition to the improved layout, Phonsnasinh said she especially likes the new cowbell chandelier.
“Whenever somebody makes a donation, because we’re nonprofit and all of our proceeds go to course material scholarships, they get to ring the cowbell at the register, and then we all cheer,” Phonsnasinh said.
Other notable renovation features include the “Better Brands Area” which features Texas-Exes merch in collaboration with brands such as Tommy Bahama and Stewart Simmons, a custom shop where customers can design personalized jerseys and a hat wall displaying 6,000 hats.
“A lot of people need to wear a hat on game day (but) our original footprint and assortment was super small,” said Olivia Biagi, the Co-op’s vice president of merchandising. “We identified this as a great opportunity to increase sales, which therefore increases margin dollars so that we can give more scholarships to students.”
The Co-op’s marketing director Kate Mounger said the renovation celebration served as the final stamp for the months-long reconstruction process.
“It’s been a long couple of months,” said Munger. “(We wanted) to celebrate all of our employees who have contributed to (the renovation) and celebrate with all of our awesome fans who continue to support the Co-op and course material scholarships.”
Looking to the future, Phifer said she hopes the Co-op can give as many course material scholarships as there are students at UT.
“We’re not there yet, but that’s really the dream,” Phifer said. “That students wouldn’t have to pay for course materials at all.”
