September 25, 2012

Davidson College welcomes the public to attend the grand opening of the new Davidson College Store on Tuesday, September 25, 2012. The store is located downtown on the corner of Depot Street and Main Street and will be open that day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The grand opening will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Davidson College president Carol Quillen, Mayor John Woods, members of the Davidson Chamber of Commerce, and college mascot Will E. Cat.

The Grand Opening will also include refreshments, door prizes, and merchandise sales for the remainder of the day. Prizes from the store's Nike representative and from local merchants will be raffled, and branded merchandise in the store will be 25 % off for one item per customer for the entire day.

The new Davidson College Store replaces the Davidson College Bookstore, formerly located on campus in the Alvarez College Union. Store Manager Gwen Gardner said the store's new location and new look are advantageous. "It's much easier for visitors to find us, and there's more parking available. The store has an up-to-date feel and comfortable sitting areas for students and visitors."

The new store has two stories, with clothing and merchandise on the first floor and student textbooks on the second. The separation of books and merchandise provides students and visitors a simpler and quick shopping experience, Gardner explained.

Ana Pinheiro, a student work-study in the store, is also very pleased with the new design. "The new store is more modern and trendy, and is full of natural lighting through the huge windows," she said. "I've already notice more students, parents, and prospective students in this store than in the old one."

The idea for a Davidson College Store in downtown Davidson originated wwith the success of the college's boutique-style store ‘Cats on Main. That led the college to purchase the former BB&T building and reconstruct it into the new, larger Davidson College Store. Gardner said the new store provides an excellent additional retail space for downtown Davidson, and benefit the already healthy relationship between Davidson College and the Town of Davidson.

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,920 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.

# # #