Co-op move should lead to increased competition

For 112 years, Yalies have shopped at the Yale Co-op for all their miscellaneous supply needs. The store provided everything from Hallmark cards to course books to toiletries, and has been an essential part of student life.

The fall of 1997, however, will mark a significant change, as the new Barnes & Noble-run Yale Bookstore will move into the familiar Broadway location. The Co-op will still be around, but now in the Chapel Square Mall, and, for the first time in years, will provide Yalies with a viable option for purchasing supplies.

The Yale Corporation decided to boot the Co-op last year after Barnes & Noble promised to make massive changes, including longer hours, more discounts, a café, and overall better service. The Yale Bookstore took over the Co-op's former spot on June 30.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages that students will find shopping at the Yale Bookstore will be the cheaper prices that a conglomerate such as Barnes & Noble can provide. A perpetual five percent discount will be offered, along with a promise to buy back books at an astonishing 50 percent-of-original-price rate.

But not everyone is excited about the

change. "While I can't help believe that Barnes & Noble will aid the students in getting what they want at cheaper prices, I think Yale should have tried harder to aid the Co-op since there was over a century-long relationship at stake. The Co-op was a landmark of sorts," Jeremy Rissi, SY '99, said.

While the Co-op's move to Chapel Sqaure may make it a longer walk for students, it should be a worthwhile trek. The establishment of two stores meant to fill all student needs will undoubtedly make prices much more competitive.

The Co-op is also slated to become more of an urban retail store than the heavily student-focused store it has been on Broadway, which should lower prices on everyday items in the hope of attracting local residents and employees.

Co-op officials believe that the fewer number of Yalies who will be visiting will probably be replaced by downtown customers.

"I think it would be really good to have something in this area. Right now there's nothing downtown," New Haven resident Allison Manges said.

The addition of the Co-op to the Chapel Square Mall is part of an ongoing process to make the downtown area a safer, more prosperous place for businesses.

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