CITY Polytechnic has taken the first step towards making its campus more in tune with the outside consumer world by equipping itself with a mini-department store. The polytechnic is the only tertiary institute in Hong Kong with a store selling both merchandise with the institute's logo and non-logo trendy accessories, garments, sportswear, sports equipment, souvenirs and stationery. Other tertiary institutes such as the University of Science and Technology and the University of Hong Kong only sell souvenirs with the institutes' logo. Wendy Choi Shiu Man-kay, a senior assistant finance officer of City Polytechnic, said the polytechnic brought in the mini-department store because of the great demand from students. 'Since the store opened for business early last month, feedback from students has been encouraging. Now they can shop on campus, they say it gives them more of a feeling of belonging.' The store operates on a contract basis, with the polytechnic benefiting from rent and a percentage of profits. Mrs Choi said the polytechnic had to put the store out to tender as it did not have the budget for staff and management. Alex To Man-yau, a consultant of the mini-department store, told Campus Post that the only condition for running the store was that goods had to be screened by the polytechnic before they went on sale. 'That is fine with us since one of our goals is to bring in products closely related to students' lives.' Mrs Choi said that the screening ensured that no items such as pornographic magazines would be sold on campus. Goods sell at standard prices, but students and staff enjoy a 10 per cent discount. At present, souvenirs still bear the polytechnic logo, but this will soon be replaced by a new university emblem. 'The souvenir and stationery shop is only breaking even. Some students say the logo items such as T-shirts are really quality products, but the logo make them less appealing,' Mrs Choi said. A first-year student said it was convenient to have the mini-department store on campus, but wondered if it was really in keeping with its surroundings. 'The first impression of the polytechnic is that it is very self-contained. But it is very much like a big shopping mall.'
