THE NEW STORE

WHAT: UC Davis Store Downtown

WHERE: 630 Second St., at F Street, next to the Varsity Theatre

HOURS:

• Monday-Friday — 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Saturday — 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Sunday — Noon-5 p.m.

Notes: The store will be closed Monday, the Fourth of July. Hours are subject to change as officials evaluate activity at the new store.

TELEPHONE: (530) 297-4450

GRAND OPENING: Friday-Sunday, July 8-10, indoors and out, on the sidewalk, as the new store participates in the Davis Downtown Business Association's Downtown Sidewalk Sale. A grand opening program starts with the Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh! at 11:35 a.m. Friday, July 8. Campus and city dignitaries will address the crowd, leading up to a blue-and-gold ribbon-cutting at noon.

The street in front of the store will be blocked off to make way for the band. Gunrock will be there, too, with his mascot pals from the city, Hamburger Patty and Mr. Toad.

The grand opening will feature giveaways, prizes and refreshments. The store will be giving away blue-and-gold fabric leis (while supplies last). And, when you make a $10 purchase, you will receive a drawstring backpack bag or a UC Davis T-shirt. The prizes include sweatshirts, an olive oil gift basket, a Campus Grown bowl and Aggie football tickets.

HOLIDAY WEEKEND

The UC Davis Store-Downtown will be open every day except the Fourth of July, whereas all other UC Davis Stores except the Pro Shop will be closed July 2 through 4. The Pro Shop will be open from noon to 5 p.m. July 2 and 3, and 1 to 5 p.m. July 4.

Aggie T-shirts, sweatshirts and polo shirts. Books by UC Davis authors. Aggie pens and pennants. Aggie coffee cups, license plates and stuffed animals. UC Davis olive oil.

Where am I?

You could be at the bookstore in the Memorial Union, or you could be at the new branch store at Second and F streets in Davis. The UC Davis Store Downtown had a “soft” opening June 25 and will go big-time with a grand opening next weekend, Friday through Sunday, July 8 to 10. See box for grand opening details.

The 4,200-square-foot branch is an Aggie store and more, carrying a complete line of school and office supplies, greeting cards, sundries and other convenience items such as candy, chips and cold drinks, as well as city of Davis souvenirs.

It is the first bookstore branch to be located off-campus (not counting the Sacramento store across the street from the UC Davis Medical Center).

“We appreciate the opportunity to bring this program to the downtown area of the city of Davis and believe it will be a very successful and a welcome addition,” said Chuck Kratochvil, director of the newly renamed UC Davis Stores. See below for more information on the name change.

Jean Aguirre, general merchandise manager for UC Davis Stores, commented after the downtown store’s first few days in business: “We were pleased at the positive response we received from everyone who walked in.

“They expressed being very happy with our presence and not having to go all the way to campus for the same merchandise they can buy at the downtown store.”

Indeed, the downtown location is a key selling point for Davis residents and visitors who may not otherwise venture onto the campus. Additionally, the store is open seven days a week (whereas the main store in the Memorial Union is closed most Sundays) and stays open later (to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday).

Kratochvil announced in April that UC Davis Stores had leased two storefronts, 624 and 630 Second St., for the new store. Since then, the two spaces have been consolidated and made over — in a coordinated effort by UC Davis Design Services and College Store Designs of Lincoln, Neb.

The décor is all UC Davis, with blue and gold colors, and big photos from the campus on all the walls.

“The store and its products present the full spectrum of the UC Davis experience,” said Sheri Canevari, advertising manager for UC Davis Stores.

That includes UC Davis-branded clothing, souvenirs and gifts, and merchandise from the university’s new Good Life Collection, including olive oil and olive oil body products from the UC Davis Olive Center; wood bowls and vases and such, called Campus Grown products because they are made from wood that is salvaged from campus trees; and silk scarves featuring faculty and student artwork.

One rack pays tribute to UC Davis’ strength in viticulture and enology, with merchandise that includes books, wine-motif ceramic art and aroma wheel T-shirts. Professor Emerita Ann Noble developed the wheel as a sensory tool to help inexperienced wine tasters connect aromas with the appropriate terms.

The store devotes a couple of racks and a table to the community’s love of bicycles. You will find bicycle locks, many bicycle-themed gifts and (still to come) a rack of merchandise associated with the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame, which relocated to Davis last year.

Another rack is devoted to the Davis Farmers Market: cups and aprons and tote bags.

The store offers delivery service for special orders in the downtown area, and customized screen embroidery, for logos, names, mascots, etc., on clothing.

Name change

The books stay, the name goes. UC Davis Bookstores are now called UC Davis Stores — reflecting the fact that they sell a lot more than books, and that books are secondary at some of the stores, like the Pro Shop at the Activities and Recreation Center.

The branch names are the same:

• UC Davis Store Main (Memorial Union)
• UC Davis Store TechHUB (Memorial Union)
• UC Davis Store Corral (Memorial Union)
• UC Davis Store Veterinary (Medical Science Building 1B)
• UC Davis Store Silo (South Silo)
• UC Davis Store Pro Shop (Activities and Recreation Center)
• UC Davis Store Sacramento (2270 Stockton Blvd.)
• UC Davis Store Downtown (630 Second St., Davis)

Earlier coverage

“Campus bookstore branches into downtown," Dateline UC Davis (April 7, 2011)

“Good Life Collection,” Dateline UC Davis (April 14, 2011)

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