Two campus bookshops not in conflict
| 
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Though it sells many
of the same items, the Bulldog Shop isn’t in direct competition
with the Kennel Bookstore for students like sophomore criminology
major Elliot Cox, store managers say. |
By Heather You
The Collegian
Though the stores sell similar
merchandise, the Kennel Bookstore and the Bulldog Shop are not in competition,
both stores’ managers said.
Many students use the Kennel Bookstore for their textbook, school supply
and clothing needs, but another store off campus sells some of those same
products.
The Bulldog Shop on Barstow and Cedar Avenues has been in operation for
eight years.
The store sells Fresno State merchandise, including football tickets,
clothing, stickers and anything else related to the Bulldogs. It is owned
by the Athletic Department, so a vast majority of the profits go directly
back into Fresno State Athletics.
“We mainly cater to the boosters, fans and alumni of Fresno State,”
said Diane Brock, manager of the Bulldog Shop. The Kennel Bookstore, by
comparison, caters to the students and faculty of the university.
“The Bulldog Shop sells high-end, brand-name items,” said
Ron Durham, director of the Kennel Bookstore. “Our items are 15
to 20 percent cheaper.”
This is mainly because anything sold in the Bulldog Shop has a certain
amount tacked on to the price because it has to pay royalties for the
usage of the Bulldog symbol.
“Because the Bulldog Shop sells brand-name items, such as Nike,
there is a 7 to 9 percent increase in the price of the item,” Durham
said. “There is no need for students to pay more when buying from
the Kennel Bookstore because they are already paying tuition to go to
the school.”
The Kennel Bookstore also does not sell pricey brand name clothing, Durham
said.
“The Bulldog Shop is not allowed to advertise on campus,”
he said, “Their clientele base lies out in the community.”
The Kennel Bookstore is a non-profit organization, and Durham said it
contributes a good amount of its profits back to the university. Another
difference between the Kennel Bookstore and the Bulldog Shop is the number
of student employees.
“All of our employees, with the exception of the management, are
students of Fresno State,” said Brock.
At the Kennel Bookstore, however, not all of the employees are students.
“About 95 percent of our part-time workers are students,”
Durham said. “We have to hire non-students because, well, the students
need to go to school, so we can’t keep them full-time.”
The two merchandise shops are not in competition, both Brock and Durham
agreed.
“We target different groups of people,” Durham said, “so
we are never short of customers.”
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