Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Student E-Business Debuts

Hoya Staff Writer Friday, August 25, 2006

The long tradition of independent student businesses at Georgetown entered the digital age this summer with the inauguration of an online student-run supplies store. GU College Supplies, the brainchild of Marcus Howard (COL ’08) and Harrison Beacher (COL ’08), was launched on July 6 after six months of preparation. “There is no kind of alternative on campus, no option for students out to save a little money,” Howard said. The pair plans to use the e-commerce business model – low inventory and overhead costs – to provide competitive prices and free on-campus delivery to its customers. The Web site, https://www.gucollegesupplies.com, which Beacher maintains, features a selection of home furnishings and other dorm living supplies. In the coming months, Beacher and Howard plan to expand into consumable goods such as bottled water and toilet paper. The hope is that students will be tempted by the offer of free delivery directly to dorm rooms and divert their purchases away from traditional suppliers of these goods such as Vital Vittles, the Leavey Center Bookstore, CVS and Safeway. Beacher said that The Corp’s operations did not enter into their calculations. “We didn’t even consider comparing prices,” he said. “Georgetown is a student-run campus and we’re just trying to find our own niche here.” Howard and Beacher said that all the prices are below or “as close as possible” to retail costs. The founders envisage the venture as a sort of community service project. “There’s no definite financial goal,” Beacher said. Nevertheless, they admit that since July they have recovered their nearly $2,000 personal investment that went into start-up and are currently on track to cover their monthly operating costs as well. Jillian Duran (COL ’07), the chief operating officer of The Corp, said that the student-run business remains confident in its services. “After looking at their Web site, we don’t feel that their prices are as low as they say they are,” she said. “We’re confident that Georgetown students will be able to shop competitively.” Duran said that, because The Corp does not sell dorm-room supplies, the new Web site would only pose competition in the market for consumable goods. While at first business on the new Web site was slow – they received six orders totaling $584.96 during their first week of operation – the site volume has steadily grown since then. In total, they have received approximately $6,200 in revenue from 72 orders, 12 of which were placed in a 12-hour period beginning Wednesday evening. They expect the number of orders to grow as New Student Orientation begins this weekend. Beyond covering operating costs, reinvesting back into the company and advertising, Howard said they plan to contribute 10 percent of their revenues toward a scholarship fund, although details have yet to be finalized.

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