Willie Royster was almost invisible behind bookshelves holding heaps of Gator merchandise in the Gator Sportshop at Gate 18 of the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The store was empty except for a family that walked out without a purchase. Later, a man walked in, bought a Mountain Dew and left.
Usually closed during the summer, the store has been testing the waters of summer sales. After Follet — the corporation that owns the UF Bookstore — took over management of stadium merchandise, sales have increased.
“They only let us have a little sandwich board to put out there to let people know we’re open,” said Royster, a sales associate who worked for UF for nearly 25 years. “The other store has big neon signs.”
The small signs haven’t negatively impacted business, however, because many people walk through the store that opened under Follet in mid-February.
“That’s who we used to be before Follet,” said Royster, pulling out an old merchandise bag with a Florida Gators logo from behind the counter.
And according to employees, the summer sales have been good.
Even though the UF Bookstore has more merchandise, Royster said, she believes once people know that the store is now open, more people will shop there.
“We are kind of spread thin right now,” said Royster. “Follet lets (the UF Bookstore) have so many part-time workers, and we just have to do with what we can.”
Patti Borelli, team leader of general merchandise for the sales floor at the bookstore, said August is the store’s most hectic month.
The bookstore is busier than any other store on campus, she said.
She said the bookstore has an estimated 60 part-time employees to help run efficiently, and it is looking to hire more employees for the beginning of Fall.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 7/29/2014 under the headline "Follet’s stadium store’s sales a success"]
