ANNUAL REPORT
2013–2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
1
STRATEGIC PLAN
2
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
3
INNOVATION AWARD
4
CAMPUS PHILANTHROPY
5
AMAZON COLLABORATION
7
TECHHUB RENOVATION
9
COMMENCEMENT REGALIA
10
FUTURE FORWARD
11
JASON LORGAN DIRECTOR UC DAVIS STORES
Thanks to our hard work and willingness to change the status quo over the past year, UC Davis Stores continued a legacy of excellence and maintained our position as one of the most respected college stores in the nation. Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, chose to collaborate with UC Davis Stores out of all the collegiate retailers in the world, on a first-of-itskind project that provided additional revenue for the university. Our commitment to innovation also
1 / LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
inspired the creation of numerous cutting-edge programs this past year, such as the Inclusive Access digital course content pilot, which will reduce the cost of materials and improve educational outcomes for students. We believe these kinds of improvements will not only provide a revenue stream to keep us a viable retailer for years to come, but also support the university’s goal of supplying every student with the means to succeed.
Helping students is the foundation of everything UC Davis Stores does, from empowering our student staff to build quality customer service and future leaders, to ensuring that our offerings for students are exceptional. All our profits go back to UC Davis, so every risk we take is rewarded with the chance to benefit the students of one of the top universities in the nation.
UC DAVIS STORES STRATEGIC PLAN In November 2013, UC Davis Stores assembled a committee of one student staff member and nine career staff members from various departments to build a strategic plan. The plan would define the objectives and clarify the mission of Stores in our support of UC Davis students, staff, faculty and the campus community.
After reviewing all the gathered information, the committee produced a final working draft of the plan that outlines our values and reinforces the goals of the Division of Student Affairs and Chancellor Katehi, including strategic directions for the support of those values and accomplishment of those goals.
Committee members built the plan through informed discussions at regular meetings, utilizing input from other Stores professional and student staff. Campus Recreation and Unions staff also contributed views on campus trends and issues.
Our intent in implementing these strategic directions is to ensure a sustainable college store, with a healthy fiscal structure, that serves our entire campus community with the best mix of products and services at the lowest cost possible.
$19,674,039
Following the presentation of our plan in fall 2014, we will launch Strategic Plan Panels comprised of staff volunteers that will help refine our shortand long-term strategies, generate metrics to measure our progress, and construct steps for future implementation. Committee members will guide the panels and continue to meet at scheduled review meetings. Career employees will also be able to use the plan to align their goals, initiatives and achievements with UC Davis Stores, Student Affairs and Chancellor Katehi.
IN TOTAL SALES
50% Books 17% Technology 33% General Merchandise
$ 688,538
NET CONTRIBUTION
As a non-profit university retailer, UC Davis stores contributes 100% of our net gain to student programs and services. This year’s net contribution went to support programs and services in the Memorial Union. STRATEGIC PLAN / 2
STUDENTS TAKE
THE LEAD UC Davis Stores implemented a lead program for our student staff in June 2013 that has since become integral to Stores operations. Nearly 85% of Stores staff are students, and our professional staff recognized the importance of student development and leadership within our organization. The lead program was created to help student staff develop applicable skills and gain management experience in a professional, real-world setting. We now rely heavily on these student leads for their opinions on ways to better the Stores, including input on Stores policy, buying decisions, student staffing and Stores programs. Every quarter, our student lead staff become empowered to make decisions and run the day-to-day operations at multiple Stores locations. Through these experiences, they learn and exemplify skills such as leadership, communication and decision-making.
3 / STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
INNOVATING SMART
BEGINNINGS In March 2014, UC Davis Stores received the Innovation Achievement Award from the National Association of College Stores (NACS). UC Davis Stores was chosen from thousands of competing collegiate retailers in North America for our Smart Start program, a complimentary textbook shopping event that helped new students find required course materials at the Memorial Union Store. Stores launched the Smart Start program MoveIn Weekend 2012 with the goal of improving customer service and addressing issues with
the textbook reservation system. Stores leadership gathered feedback from professional and student staff to create a festive event focused on student-to-student course materials assistance. NACS praised the program’s “overarching theme of students helping students.” In its inaugural year, Smart Start generated 20% more revenue than Move-In Weekend 2011, increasing our net contribution to the university. Smart Start was also a success in its second year, and will continue fall 2014. INNOVATION AWARD / 4
SUPPORTING 5K Registration at Downtown Store In Spring 2014, UC Davis Stores volunteered the Downtown Store as a location where participants could register for ASUCD’s Stride for Aggie Pride 5K. The store provided an alternative to signing up online and encouraged more students and others to register: about 100 participants took advantage of the opportunity. The effort was a demonstration of Stores’ support for campus philanthropy and student programs as well as the health and wellness of the campus community. Red Heart Day UC Davis Stores was responsible for selling the red heart T-shirts that exemplified UC Davis Wears Red Day and helped make it a success. UC Davis Wears Red Day, the first at our university, was a campus-wide event scheduled the week before Valentine’s Day to promote heart health. For each shirt sold, Stores donated $1 to the UC Davis Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine Program. From January 16 to February 16, we sold 8,441 shirts and donated $8,441 to the program thanks to students, alumni, campus staff and members of the general public that connected to the meaningful heart design and worthy cause. 5 / CAMPUS PHILANTHROPY
COMMUNITY
Holiday Food Drive UC Davis Stores joined forces with the Department of Campus Recreation and Unions this past holiday season to sponsor a food drive that benefited UC Davis students and Yolo County families in need. The Stores encouraged increased participation by giving donors a UC Davis Stores coupon for $5 off any purchase of $25 or more. By the end of the holidays, 408 pounds of food were collected and donated to the Food Bank of Yolo County and The Pantry at UC Davis. Typhoon Relief Fund In late fall 2013, UC Davis Stores and the UC Davis Fil-Am (Filipino American) community came together to sponsor and support the Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON). UC Davis Fil-Am created a typhoon relief fund for NAFCON and Stores supported it with a donation effort. Any student who donated one dollar to the Stores collection fund received a dollar off their purchase. Students donated a total of $7,911 over a three-week period.
We Are Aggie Pride UC Davis Stores partnered with Cal Aggie Alumni Association to support We Are Aggie Pride, a student-run program that provides short-term financial assistance to UC Davis students in need. From February 24 to February 28, 2014, students and other shoppers were encouraged to donate to We Are Aggie Pride at Stores registers. The Stores incentivized involvement by giving every donor a T-shirt that entitled the wearer to 10% off at local businesses. In just five days, the Stores collection generated $1,397 for We Are Aggie Pride. This contribution is in addition to the $40,000 allocated for We Are Aggie Pride textbook scholarships from our Amazon collaboration proceeds (see pages 7–8).
PHILANTHROPY / 6
7 / AMAZON COLLABORATION
TRAIL BLAZING WITH
AMAZON
UC Davis Stores began a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Amazon in fall 2013: UC Davis now receives a portion of the proceeds from purchases made through davis.amazon.com (a new co-branded portal into Amazon.com), and from all Amazon Student accounts connected to @ucdavis.edu email addresses. The first six months of the collaboration generated $140,000 in proceeds, which provided funding for textbooks through the We Are Aggie Pride student financial assistance program. The remaining balance went toward student programs and activities in the Memorial Union. Then in early 2014, Stores worked with Amazon to install lockers at the Memorial
Union and ARC to provide a secure location for students to pick up their packages. The lockers were a huge success and as a result, additional lockers will be installed at the Segundo, Tercero and Cuarto residence halls this fall. The innovative and beneficial relationship with Amazon epitomizes our willingness to chart new courses, set ourselves apart from other college stores, and maintain our university-run status. Our success in this collaboration allows UC Davis Stores to remain non-profit and independent; continuing to return every dollar of profit back to student programs and services year after year.
AMAZON COLLABORATION / 8
TECHHUB
TRANSFORMATION In winter 2014, UC Davis Stores relocated and renovated the TechHub, our computer and electronics store, in an effort to increase ease of accessibility for students and other visitors. For years, the TechHub remained hidden in the back of the Memorial Union Store and occupied much-needed space for general merchandise. As a solution, we worked with the campus to move the
9 / TECHHUB RENOVATION
TechHub to a more heavily trafficked area, the former MU Station Computer Lab (in the Memorial Union behind the ATMs). The new TechHub features expanded space for products and a technologically sleek, modern design that complements the cutting-edge electronics on the shelves. With its new design, the store now looks and feels like a true tech hub.
BLUE
IS THE NEW
GREEN
UC Davis graduates walked the stage this past June in new commencement gowns that proved you don’t have to compromise style for sustainability. UC Davis Stores commissioned the new blue gowns trimmed in gold, consistent with the University of California color scheme, to replace the old black ones. The changes, which also included special sleeve panels for master’s gowns and velvet detailing for doctoral gowns, were received with excitement, but even more impressive were the efforts for sustainability. UC Davis is known for its efforts to go green, and the Stores is committed to the same environmentally conscious goals. The new gowns are 100% recycled, with about 74 post-consumer plastic bottles making up the fabric of each gown. In addition, the cleaning process for the rental gowns exceeds EPA guidelines by reusing 90% of the eco-friendly solvent. As these stylish gowns demonstrate, Stores is committed to finding innovative ways to increase sustainability.
COMMENCEMENT REGALIA / 10
FUTURE
IN PROGRESS
Conveniently located on the east side of the building, our new point-of-sale station will feature audio-visual LCD displays that will guide customers through checkout effortlessly and efficiently.
New Grab & Go station coolers will provide a quick, easy location for students to replenish with drinks and snacks before continuing on to class.
The UC Davis Stores portion of the Memorial Union Renewal Project is underway: the TechHub has already moved to its new location (see page 9), and coming soon is a new convenience store in partnership with ASUCD to replace the Corral and CoHo-To-Go. The major remodel of the main store in the Memorial Union is also on track, slated to begin spring 2015: the new design will better serve the needs of our growing student population by increasing floor space and streamlining services. The changes include a spacious new layout that will better accommodate textbook sales for UC Davis’ 30,000-plus students (compared to the current layout, which was designed to accommodate sales for 15,000); increased space for merchandise, back stock and supplies; and new, more accessible store entrances.
CREDITS PROJECT MANAGERS Jennifer Eting Andy Davis PROJECT EDITOR Annie Wormhoudt
A DIGITAL FRONTIER FOR ALL In addition to our highly anticipated renovation, UC Davis Stores is looking forward to revolutionizing the way that students access course materials. By skillfully utilizing modern technology, our Inclusive Access pilot program will reduce the cost and increase the overall convenience of purchasing and using course materials. The program is set to launch fall 2014: for up to 70% off the price of a new print textbook, participating students can receive
immediate digital access to their course materials. Approximately 4,500 students in classes ranging from Physics to Human Development to Management will be able to take advantage of the pilot program this fall. By removing the barriers some students face in purchasing required course materials, Inclusive Access will aid our pursuit of providing all students with everything they need for educational success.
CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Lee Serena Chew Ashley Clark DESIGN Carmen Romo Chris Compoginis Hung Pham Hannah Kan PHOTOGRAPHY Vincent Sosa Stephen Kui Ed Ju Gregory Urquiaga Kyle Jones FUTURE FORWARD / 12
UC DAVIS STORES One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616