Alumni merchandise to school spirit. PN Photo/ Alyssa Hernandez
By: Mahala Treish Photo/Graphics Editor
A new spirit shop has opened on 56 Union Chapel Road at the A.S. Thomas Center in downtown Pembroke on Oct. 4.
There is a collection of new merchandise in the spirit shop, including apparel and gifts.
The merchandise in the new shop costs more than items you would find in the campus bookstore.
Brands like Yeti tumblers and johnnie-O clothing are available in the new shop.
Pieces of apparel that you can purchase are polos, pullovers, sweatshirts, ties, hats, long and short sleeve tees. The highest priced item is a $112 pullover with the lowest t-shirt going for $36.
The spirit shop also has gifts for purchase. The gift items include golf balls and different types of tumblers. The golf balls go $20 for a set of 3 and the UNCP logo on them.
The shop also has an area for people to lounge and sit before or after they look around.
The intimate modern vibe is what it seems like the school was going for when picking out the interior design inside of the shop.
Differences between the bookstore and the spirit shop are the prices and the number of items. The downtown spirit shop has a limited quantity of spirit wear and gift items in contrast to the bookstore’s voluminous stock. The prices in the spirit shop are also slightly higher than most items in the bookstore.
The Downtown location includes offices in the back of the store that are being used by the University’s Office of Advancement. The university is making the best of their space and new rooms.
UNCP alumni Katina Brown, the bookstore and spirit shop manager and Chase Green, the Operations Manager for the bookstore and spirit shop were both excited about what the spirit shop will bring to the community.
Green said the downtown location serves the community of Pembroke and the alumni with gift and apparel items. It brought a new look to Brave Nation.
Andrea Branch Jacobs, Executive Assistant to the Business Manager, favors the new location of the spirit shop.
“It’s nice to have a downtown shop so people don’t have to come all the way on campus to purchase merchandise,” Jacobs said.
Alumni and fans are free to come in and purchase merchandise and gifts. The shop is now open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.