At the end of the spring semester, Judson will make big changes to the Judson Bookstore. The university is ending its agreement with Follett to provide the store and re-envisioning the mission and operations to launch the new Judson Spirit Store.
Judson’s contract with Follett will end May 8 and bookstore hours have already changed to 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday for the remainder of the contract. The bookstore will remain open longer if staff are notified of a special event or need.
The Judson Spirit Store will include Judson branded spirit wear for the athletics, a special line of branded materials from Michael Figueroa, and branded items for the university. The “heart” of the store will be the “fair trade” items and integrating products offered into Judson’s Global Outreach efforts. The vision for the new store includes allowing students who are interested in participating in a Global Outreach trip to “volunteer” in the store. In exchange for the wages they would have received, a donation will be made to their GO account. This allows students who do not have an extensive fundraising network the opportunity to support their trip.
Judson will partner with Akademos for book sales with all offerings provided online. Also, a new Amazon Locker location will also be added outside the bookstore in the lower Commons. The university is working with Fresh Ideas and other vendors to provide a social space within the store for comfortable chairs and high-top seating for students to socialize and enjoy limited refreshments after hours. The store will open later to accommodate that space and provide more commuter friendly options.
Bryan Flickema joined Judson’s staff in December to serve as manager of the store and prepare for the many changes taking place this spring and summer. Flickema has an extensive background in Christian retailing and is busy working to bring new materials to this new store.
