Lakeland’s new campus store will be opened at Wehr Center on Aug. 2, 2021, organized by a student-run business, Launch.

Currently, Lakeland has a bookstore, which is closely located near the Gould Apartment Building, and a campus store, Muskie Mart, which is located in the Campus Center. Lakeland is fixing to build a school store that is separate from the campus bookstore that we currently have. The name of the new campus store was not decided yet; however, it will be the third store on campus that will bring new encounters to students.

Sydney Pingitore, a junior student and president of merchandise for Launch, has been working on this new campus store project. According to Pingitore, the new store will be located in Wehr Center, and Launch is in the process of preparing for opening the next Fall semester. She described the appearance of the new store that, “it will be 1,000 square feet, surrounded by 3-sided glass walls. With mobile merchandise displays that will flow in and out of the store.”

The store is going to sell merchandise and apparel which is featuring Lakeland. “The merchandise will be fresh with new designs, better quality, and affordable. For the beginning, we are going to focus on the apparel aspect, with upgrades as the store grows. We plan to have seasonal items along with specialty items and promotions. We are always open to ideas from the students, staff, faculty, and more,” Pingitore stated.

Pingitore also explained that the main purposes of having a new store are creating an on-campus job for students and bringing a sense of community in Lakeland through merchandise products. “We are going to have students involved with every aspect of the store. It is going to connect most with our traditional daytime students and athletes, but we hope to make connections with alumni, family, and parents through the online store. Our main goal to bring back a community feels at Lakeland. This will be the financial cornerstone of Launch, so we will be able to hire more students through the campus shop, as well as create more employment opportunities in new Launch business ventures from the revenue earned,” Pingitore mentioned.

Thomas Duckert, a junior student, expresses his perspective on having a new campus store that “I think the new store will be a new experience for the students, and staff on campus. It will also add something new and inviting to the campus.”

Launch is still in the process of creating the design for merchandise and apparel products, and they are also open to hiring students especially those who have a business, sales, or retail experience for the management of campus store. For further information or application to Launch, contact Pingitore ([email protected]). Lakeland is always open to new possibilities with this new opportunity to help our Lakeland community thrive and grow.