Quote:
Originally Posted by jitterbug13
I want to share something that happened to me yesterday that made me sad.  I also want to see if anyone else has experienced this.
I went to a para store in another part of the state (DSTRen knows which store I'm talking about). When I started going there almost ten years ago (when I had just joined OPA) there would be tons of stuff there and it would not be common for me to spend more than $100 there. I even when there a few months after I crossed Delta.
A friend and I drove up there yesterday. I was shocked to see how much of their inventory has gone down. The store used to be full of stuff and it wasn't the case anymore. One of the owner's husbands told us that a lot of their suppliers have gone out of business because the fraternities and sororities have been clamping down on the vendors. Just about everything I have bought from this store has been of the best quality and they had unique items that a lot of people didn't have ( I try to get stuff that a lot of people don't have).
Have any of you seen this happen in the greek stores you visited? I hate to see this happen to good stores that have had good customer service and merchandise. |
I have been to three Greek stores in my life and two college stores with extensive Greek sections.
1. The Guild in DC...... they have never had a great selection of pre-made stuff, but I have never had a problem with their made-to-order items. They once closed for a few months and moved across the street to a smaller, but nicer store. I do not believe they have done down much in inventory, but the manager did tell me that they stopped making certain items because of the high overhead (sweaters, for example.)
2. The University Shop in College Park, MD -- they are great for pre-made stuff. In the years I have supported them, they seem to be doing fine. Not my number one choice for pre-made stuff, BUT I can say this... if you've ever been annoyed that the "white" sororities have better pre-made stuff, the University Shop will erase that. Everything that Tri-Delt has, DST will have.
3. Forgot the name of the Greek store in Columbus, OH (University Spirit?) but they were really good -- on the same level as #2.
4. Howard University Bookstore -- far better than the Guild for pre-made stuff, but ONLY carries NPHC stuff, which is silly because APO, GSS, KKPsi, TBS, SAI, and PMA are also on the yard in large numbers.
5. Went to a Greek store in Athens, OH that I wasn't feeling at all.
All in all, I don't notice the actual stores declining in quality or inventory -- but I do see a LOT of online vendors disappearing.