Students in search of caffeine at 4 a.m. can no longer turn to the U-Store to get their fix. Due to financial strain, the U-Store has been forced to cut five hours from its previous 24/7 operation schedule. The store is now closed from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m.
“[It was] definitely a cost-saving measure,” U-Store trustee and electrical engineering professor Ruby Lee said in an e-mail. “They had to eliminate several full-time positions to cut expenses. [It is] a very difficult time for retailers during this economic crisis.”
On an average night, the U-Store would have about five customers between 3 and 6 a.m., said one worker who said she worked that shift. Her name is being withheld because she is not authorized to speak on behalf of the store. She noted, however, that significantly more students came in on Thursday nights during this time.
The news was only publicized to students through signs on the doors of the U-Store advertising the new hours.
“I went to the U-Store last night at 2:45 and was surprised to see the hours change,” Kevin Belasco ’12 said in an e-mail. “As far as I know, it’s the only 24-hour place near the north side of campus.”
U-Store trustee Michael Adams ’09 explained in an in an e-mail that the decision was not publicized for two reasons.
“One, the time frame in which the decision was made did not allow for any major publicized effort to inform students,” he said. “Secondly … the Princeton University Store is a private non-profit co-operative retail store ... So any changes made are not necessarily adherent to regular school policies of notifying students ahead of time.”
Though student trustees normally have input into store decisions, the decision to cut store hours was made unilaterally by U-Store president Jim Sykes, who notified the trustees of his decision via e-mail last Thursday.
“There are four student trustees on the board for the store and in all meeting[s] we are included in the decision-making process,” Adams said. “For this particular instance, though, Jim took the immediate necessary action because he understood better than anyone the financial situation since he runs the day-to-day operation of the store.”
Sykes could not be reached for comment.
Lee explained that trustees “wanted to stay open 24/7 but sales were down significantly for the insignia part of the U-Store, and even the campus part of the store was below projections.”
Richard Hutchins GS, however, said that despite the economic difficulties, “there needs to be an option for students to eat on campus or close to campus.”
The U-Store’s new hours could be problematic for students living on the north side of campus. The only food store near campus open 24/7 is now Wawa.
“Since we don’t live in a [big] city, the U-Store and Wa are the only two places where students can get essentials anytime, and the Wa is too far away from Rocky and Mathey,” Belasco said.
“Ironically, I forgot as recently as Friday that the office hours were indeed changed and I made an attempt to go to the store at approximately 3:30 a.m. and was forced to go to the WaWa,” Adams said. “I would imagine that this put a slight dent in the actions of some students who are up late studying for reading period or returning from the Street after a night out.”
Adams attributed the schedule changes to the transitional period that the U-Store has recently experienced.
“The store is … coming off the heels of the new store on Nassau and the dramatic changes made to the University Place site,” he said. “And the greater economic situation that we face has not helped smooth the transition, but as a member of the board of trustees for the store, I just make it clear that all student suggestions and input are taken into consideration.”
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