Commercial Services

Commercial services are designed to support the sustainability of the Guild and includes Guild-run outlets such as the Uni Bar, Uni Fitness and The Uni Store, as well as the provision of approximately 75% of food and retail tenancies on the Gold Coast campus.

The lingering impacts of COVID-19, inflation, and supply chain pressures posed challenges to commercial operations in 2022. Businesses on campus did however, welcome a noticeable increase in foot traffic and campus activity, with daily trade and event/program participation increasing to levels seen prior to COVID-19.

A key focus in 2022 within the Guild’s commercial operations was the implementation of the 24hour operating model at Uni Fitness, which aimed to increase the availability of fitness services to students on campus. Since launching this model, Uni Fitness has experienced significant uptake in memberships, with total members reaching 1,260, up 22% compared to 2021. Facility usage also increased over this period, with 62,445 total visits to the G07 centre, up 53% on 2021 and bringing the average visits per member from 39 in 2021 to 50 in 2022. The successful implementation of the 24-hour operating model has seen a reduction in operating costs allowing funds to be redirected towards the delivery of educational and group fitness programs, aimed at increasing member engagement in health and fitness on campus.

The Uni Store and Australia Post felt the impacts of global supply chain pressures that affected both cost and availability of goods and services. This brought about necessary price increases for Australia Post services, however, both retail stores aimed to keep down prices for most products where possible to minimise the impact to students. Following extensive delays in shipping, The Uni Store launched its new range of Griffith Gold Coast merchandise and clothing which was received well by students, with sales of these items exceeding 2021 sales by 21%. The Uni Store continued to evaluate its product lines throughout 2022, with the goal of bringing new, relevant, and affordable grocery, merchandise, and giftware options to Griffith staff and students. Overall, 2022 was a positive year for retail on campus, driven by the return to campus of more staff and students.

The Uni Bar and Function Centre also benefited greatly from the increase in campus population in 2022. After being one of the businesses on campus most impacted by COVID-19 restrictions in prior years, Uni Bar food and beverage sales as well as events attendance throughout the year reached numbers attained in the years prior to COVID-19. The popular Uni Bar parties were well attended with the Uni Bar Kick-Off, Halloween, and Beach parties reaching capacity, and general daily trade over the year up 18% on 2021. The Uni Bar continued its partnership with Hallmark Group, which allows students to access great value on food and beverage in other venues outside of the Griffith community.

One of the greatest challenges of 2022 for Guild commercial operations was attracting new businesses to occupy the empty food and retail spaces on campus. There has been hesitance by potential operators to commit to establishing themselves on campus, given the impact to campus population due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty over the future of online versus face-to-face learning. The growth in campus population over 2022 brought on an influx of expressions of interest for various properties on campus and there is a strong indication that these tenancies will be filled in early 2023, to re-establish and create a thriving food and retail precinct that students can enjoy well into the future.