Students react to U-Store discount elimination with shock, disappointment

On Tuesday, Feb. 10, the Princeton University Store (U-Store) eliminated its 10 percent discount for members on all products with the exception of items with official University branding, provoking student reactions ranging from mild disappointment to anger.

Easton Tan ’26 was one of several students who were particularly upset by the new limits on the discount.

“I’m super frustrated to hear about this … I just found out,” Tan told The Daily Princetonian in an interview. “I might not shop here [as much] and go to Wawa [instead].”

Avery Thompson ’28 shared Tan’s sentiments. “I was really disappointed that what I put money into a while ago no longer applies now, because I usually use the [discount] on food and … daily amenities, rather than [Princeton] gear,” she said in an interview with the ‘Prince.’

In contrast, Noa Karchmer ’28 told the ‘Prince’ that she was “slightly annoyed,” but the discount restriction “wasn’t something that I was really angry about.” Karchmer described herself as “not a big U-Store shopper,” but noted that “for people that were, I could see how this could really affect their shopping habits.”

Similarly, Lynn Morris ’26, who is on the independent meal plan, shared that the U-Store served mainly as a backup when he didn’t receive his regular grocery order.

“I don’t think I buy enough from here for [the new policy] to affect me too much,” Morris told the ‘Prince.’

Many students, however, pointed out that the loss of the discount on most U-Store items made the $35 lifetime membership and the $15 yearly memberships less worthwhile.

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“If they [offered] a refund, I would take it,” Nick Feng ’28 told the ‘Prince.’ “I wouldn’t have gotten [the membership] if I didn’t get the discount on food.”

Kendra Dos Santos Landim ’27 told the ‘Prince’ that this change would disproportionately affect low income students.

“[Students are] paying for a membership and then not being [told] when that membership is affected. And for students who are low income or students who don’t have proper funding, coming to the U-Store is something that’s reliable for them, and they can’t even have that anymore,” Dos Santos said.

Other students in contrast, like Avery Thompson ’28 and Tammy Zou ’29, said that even without the discount, they would want to keep their memberships.

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“I would probably keep [it], just to support the store and everything they do, since I’ve already put the money into it.” Thompson told the ‘Prince.’

Zou agreed, telling the ‘Prince,’ “I don’t have a [good enough] reason to get rid of it.”

Many students highlighted that there was a lack of proper communication regarding the end of the discount from the University.

“I think the fact that they’re not even giving students a warning should be against protocol,” Dos Santos shared. “I think everyone should have the right to know what their membership is and what is going to be affected by it; everyone should be able to know whether or not they want to cancel it or not.”

“I found out through word of mouth,” Feng added. “I didn’t [get] an email or anything.”

Eliza Brown ’26 shared that she felt the change would have a greater impact on underclass students compared to seniors and juniors.

“It kind of sucks, because when you signed up, they said that it’s for life. So a lot of people got it because they [thought], ‘oh, it’s for life, it’s worth the money,’” Brown told the ‘Prince.’ “But I feel like it really [isn’t] for the freshmen and the underclassmen that are just getting it now.”

Zou echoed Brown’s sentiment.

“I actually bought the membership like my first week here when I found out about [the discount], because it’s a lifetime membership, and it just made sense to buy it,” she told the ‘Prince.’ “So when I found out about it ending last week, it was pretty [annoying].”

Brown and Tan both pointed out that, as members of eating clubs, they didn’t use the U-Store as frequently as underclassmen might.

Madison Draizen ’26, who is also a member of an eating club, shared that she did not frequent the U-Store, but expressed that “it would be nice to [still] have the discount” because she used the store to “get cold medicine and other stuff when I need [it] last minute.”

“I’m a senior, so I’ve had [the membership] all four years, but I came to the U-Store [originally] because of the discount,” Brown said. “I lived in Blair [Hall] for two years, so it was me and my roommates’ nightly routine to come to the U-Store and get a little snack and talk about our days.”

“So I feel like [the membership change] kind of de-incentivizes a lot of people to come here now,” Brown continued.

“The discount made [prices] pretty close to what you would buy at a normal grocery store,” Zou added. “So I don’t know that I’d be back here as often as I used to be [with the change].”

Leela Hensler is a staff News writer and a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Berkeley, Calif. and can be reached at leela[at]princeton.edu.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.