How businesses navigate cyclical nature of East Lansing – The State News

Every summer, Michigan State University students vacate the usually busy downtown of East Lansing and return by the thousands a few months later for the back to school rush. These cycles are a fact of life in a college town, but how do these patterns affect local storefronts and restaurants that remain here year-round?

Campbell’s Market Basket owner Ken Campbell said his business is “very much directly impacted by Michigan State” and the grocery store sees nearly a 50% increase in sales between the summer and fall months.

“MSU is what you could call a very consistent customer,” Campbell said. “Always having the next undergraduate class, always having a certain population of students present that can help and support those businesses.”

Campbell said the clientele in the summer relies heavily on local East Lansing residents, families and full-time faculty and staff.

“We still see them during the school year, but they are definitely overshadowed by the extreme influx of students,” Campbell said.

This sudden rush in customers dictates inventory needs as well.

“Just being a fresh market and fresh store with a lot of perishable items, we usually wait until, you know, we start seeing that influx,” Campbell said. “We don’t want to have too much inventory too early, but we definitely are prepared, I’d say, one to two weeks in advance of everybody coming back.”

Rally House senior store manager Zach Hiscock said that the start of a new year coupled with football season means sales at the popular sportswear store increase dramatically when students move in.

“I know generally, September through December, we do 70 to 80% of our business … compared to the summer, (when) you’re maybe getting five to 10% of your business,” Hiscock said.

One unique challenge that comes from running a college town business is navigating the age gap between managers and employees, Hiscock said.

“This is my life, this is my job and I’m going to focus solely on this,” Hiscock said. “And then understanding that college kids are going to school for a degree … and trying to find that simple balance to make sure, ‘hey, I want you to succeed in life and succeed in your school, but I also want to make sure that our business does well.'”

Cottage Inn franchise owner George Hoover said he works at his eatery six nights a week so that he can enjoy his favorite part of the business: the customers.

“I want to be here when there’s the most energy,” Hoover said. “I want to be here when everybody’s having the most amount of fun, so I can greet them and be a part of that energy and make their experience not only positive, (also in a way that) allows me to engage with the customer and build my brand with them.”

Hoover added that it’s important for local businesses to become a fixture not just within the student population, but also with long-term residents.

“I still think the secret to business in East Lansing is being a member of the community, not being a member of Michigan State University only,” Hoover said. “When you take that mentality, your business can be prosperous, and you can be here year-long, and you can really enjoy the environment.”