In a press release this afternoon, LUSU have confirmed that the LUSU Shop in Edward Roberts Court will be closing in the near future “in order to concentrate on creating one store that meets student needs as closely as possible”.
The press release continued: “the date of closure will be confirmed in the next few weeks, but is likely to be the end of the summer term. Responsibility for selling Lancaster-branded clothing and other memorabilia currently on sale at LUSU Shop will be taken over by the university – updates on this will be available in due course”.
No redundancies are expected as a result of these changes, and it is believed that staff currently employed at the LUSU Shop will transfer to LUSU Central.
Linked to this closure, LUSU is planning a major refurbishment of LUSU Central. The redesigned LUSU Central will have a new layout, will offer contactless and Apple Pay systems and will be designed with energy-efficiency in mind. The work is expected to be completed by the start of the 2016-2017 academic year.
LUSU VP Union Development Tom Stapleton said: “LUSU’s trustees have endorsed our plans to bring improvements to the shopping experience we offer students on campus. The revamped store will be designed with our students in mind and we’re working hard to ensure we can offer the products and services our students want. We really value student input on this project, and would love to hear your suggestions big and small.”
