UHH preps new bookstore

By COLIN M. STEWART

Tribune-Herald Staff Writer

Ever since the August 2010 loss of Borders Books & Music, bookstores have been few and far between in Hilo. But this fall, the University of Hawaii at Hilo plans to launch its new $4 million campus store.

“Construction is about 90 percent complete,” said project manager Michael Murakami. “We’ve still got some painting to do and furniture to install, but that should wrap up in August.”

While construction is slated to be complete next month, the store won’t open for business until after the fall semester rush, said store manager Jason Tanaka.

“We have two really busy periods in January and August when all the students are getting their books for classes,” he said. “We won’t be ready to handle the fall rush in the new building, so we’ll wait to do a grand opening until some time in October.”

According to a press release, the single-story addition to the UHH Campus Center comprises 8,500 square feet, with a configured layout that includes textbook, computer, apparel and cafe areas. It will replace the existing UH-Hilo Bookstore, which is located near the old gym, as the school’s primary outlet for the sale of textbooks, materials, school supplies, and various other merchandise including Vulcan logo clothing, sundries, snacks, computers and computer accessories.

The new store, which opens onto the parking lot on W. Kawili Street with an additional rear entrance from the cafeteria, will offer a more efficient and centralized location for students, compared to the old store, which is found at the far, northeastern edge of the campus, almost bordering Kapiolani Street.

“We sent out questionnaires a while ago, and that was something students said they would like to see improved. Right now, a lot of them have to go out of their way to get to the store. This should make things easier for them, and the general public,” Tanaka said.

The new store will also bear a new name, the UH-Hilo College Campus Store, in light of students’ decreasing dependence on the store to provide their texbooks. Tanaka couldn’t say what percentage of students get their textbooks from the store, but he did say that the number has been shrinking every year.

“Many of them buy their books from online providers, like Amazon, or they rent them from Chegg.com,” he said.

Even so, the store currently brings in about $2 million in sales each academic year, and textbooks account for between 70 and 75 percent of that business, he said.

In order to offer students cheaper options, the store has also begun renting books. The texts cost about 40 percent less than new books, and students can treat them just like they would their own, writing notes in the margins and highlighting important sections.

“They just have to remember to return them at the end of the semester,” he said with a laugh.

The store will feature a more open floor plan, despite the fact that at 8,500 square feet, it is similar in size to the current store, Tanaka said. That’s because the store won’t be using much of its space for office space, making things less cramped. The center of the room features a large, circular counter which will house four cash registers.

The new store also attempts to offer a more welcoming gathering place for students to relax, work, study and socialize. It will provide a variety of amenities ranging from contemporary furniture to computers with free Internet access and a big screen television featuring university news, public information and merchandise offerings.

“Among the merchandise displays will be one dedicated to products developed, labeled and marketed by students in UH Hilo’s Business classes, along with those from other UH campuses,” reads the UHH press release.

The store’s operating hours will be Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., with extended seasonal hours.

To visit the online store, go to www.bookstore.hawaii.edu/hilo/.

Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.