BGSU on Main open for business

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Bowling Green State University has moved downtown with the opening of BGSU on Main, a retail store at 133 S. Main St.

Located in what most recently was the home of an ice cream shop, BGSU on Main is an extension of the University Bookstore. In addition to carrying BGSU insignia clothing and gifts, the store sells tickets for athletic events. Tickets for music and theatre events will be available in the near future.

General reading materials and a small selection of school and art supplies will be available as well, along with a Dell computer station. There, customers can access their email and order Dell and Apple computers online through the BGSU campus partnership.

The store also plans to offer some BGSU “signature” food items, such as coconut cream pie, and Dietsch’s ice cream from Findlay.

“Our goal is to increase institutional involvement in the community,” said Jeff Nelson, University Bookstore director, who will oversee the new store’s operation. “We want to make the connection between the University and the residents of Bowling Green.”

The bookstore, while successful in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union, identified a need for a more easily accessible retail outlet for BGSU logo merchandise. In addition to seeking retail space with appropriate size and a central Main Street location, University representatives searched for a site with ample and convenient parking and rear access to municipal parking.

BGSU on Main has roughly 1,500 square feet of retail space and a back entrance on the east side of the building, adjacent to a municipal metered parking lot.

The store supervisor is Kathy Shapler, a former University Bookstore employee who managed a Hallmark store before coming to BGSU.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. The store will be closed on Sundays. The hours will be adjusted based upon customer demand and will be extended at peak times such as the holiday shopping season in December.

(Posted September 13, 2004 )