When freshman Alex Cole first arrived at the Hamilton Complex last week, he thought he had brought all the college essentials — bedding, toiletries, clothes. However, after seeing his “not that big” room, he realized he needed to go on yet another shopping trip.
“I’ve bought everything I didn’t think I needed,” he said, while wheeling a shopping cart through a local store. “Now I’ve got more stuff than I can handle.”
With students getting back to school, many Eugene businesses are working to attract young shoppers. And while some businesses use convenient location and long-standing reputation to their advantage, others see new products, different sale tactics and a younger image as the hooks to lure the college-niche market.
In the midst of the fall-term rush for housing must-haves, local Target stores are stocked and ready to help students gear up and get settled into the new year.
“We’re trying to make Target a college destination,” said Dave Stringer, executive team lead of logistics at the 4575 W. 11th Ave. location.
Through new television commercials on MTV and other youth-oriented stations, Target is trying to appeal to the college crowd with a cooler image. Although he couldn’t say what sales percentage is derived from student purchases, Stringer said business has significantly improved with the introduction of stylish new products by designers such as Todd Oldham and dorm-specific items like the “all-in-one” kitchen utensil set.
“We’ll definitely continue to introduce more products with different designers,” Stringer said. “Our stock is always changing.”
Freshman Christina Low shopped at Target for residence hall necessities with her mother the day before she moved in.
“I haven’t even seen my room yet,” the Hawaii native said. “But everything is very inexpensive here compared to Oahu. We’ve already spent $150 at least.”
Besides hangers, extra-long sheets and bathroom products, Low said she also needed to shop around for more expensive items, including a TV.
Some local businesses have also catered to students’ needs and budgets for quite some time. For almost 30 years, Smith Family Bookstore has been buying and selling used college textbooks from its 768 E. 13th Ave. location, one of two in Eugene. During the first few weeks of every term, the bookstore requires very little advertising because most students are drawn to its prediscounted rates — up to 65 percent off — and higher buy-back volume.
“We’re always after good academic texts,” said Nancy Smith, who buys much of the Smith Family inventory. “And we buy more titles that a lot of others stores don’t.”
With student purchases accounting for about 30 percent of total sales for the location, Smith said the bookstore’s best marketing tactic is word-of-mouth on campus.
“For the most part, we sell almost all of our used textbooks,” she said.
Some companies concentrate solely on student consumers.
With a college-market focus that dates back to the 1950s, STA Travel, located at 877 1/2 E. 13th Ave., promises a 10 to 70 percent discount to students looking for winter break and spring break deals, as well as for trips abroad. Originally established in Australia shortly after World War II, the self-proclaimed “student travel expert” provides significant savings by bridging the gap between college travelers and ticket counters.
“Airlines are not constructed to fit student needs and we are,” Branch Manager Shari Chrissis said.
In the last few decades, STA Travel has established a multi-level approach to niche marketing. Besides continuous sponsorship of campus organizations, Chrissis said the company recently landed a European travel campaign with MTV’s The Real World to appeal to the show’s young adult audience.
“We try to reach (students) in every way we can,” she said.