Students at the University of Arizona are gaining valuable retailing experience at The A Store, which opened at the Tucson Mall on Nov. 22, 2004.

The venture is a unique partnership between the University of Arizona BookStores, the UA Center for Retailing and Consumer Sciences and the UA chapter of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).

Students are responsible for staffing, merchandising, product development, sales and store design. They receive academic credit through independent studies for their efforts.

"This experience has been a great opportunity for us to take ownership of a business and see the impact of our decisions," said Shelley Huff, SIFE student and project manager for the store.

The A Store features a wide variety of UA logo apparel and merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, warm-up suits, basketball shorts, polo shirts, windbreakers, children's clothing, caps, ornaments, blankets, golf balls and golf club covers.

"Students are available every day to help customers select merchandise," said Marcia Klipsch, assistant director in the Center for Retailing. "There are products for men, women and children at a wide range of prices." The UA Center for Retailing supports the Retailing and Consumer Sciences academic program and sponsors the SIFE team on the UA campus.

"Our mission is to support the development of future retail leaders," said Melinda Burke, director of the Center for Retailing and Consumer Sciences. "This includes teaching the theory as well as providing the experiences to develop skills vital to success. The A Store allows students to put it all together."

SIFE team members come from all majors on campus. These students have a strong interest in developing leadership, teamwork and communication skills by learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise. SIFE teams do projects in the areas of global economics, ethics, personal success skills and entrepreneurship.

The A Store provides SIFE students with an outstanding entrepreneurial experience, said Klipsch. Students are able to immerse themselves in the development of this unique retailing concept.

A set of working teams is responsible for the operation of the store, including teams for visual merchandising, human resource training, scheduling and policy, buying and business analysis, product procurement and development, and marketing.

"The A Store is a wonderful opportunity for us to apply what we learn in the classroom while practicing in a 'real world' environment," says Patricia White, one of the SIFE project managers for the store. "We are developing as managers, perfecting our sales techniques, while gaining merchandising, store design and PR skills."

A May 2005 graduate, White is hoping her A Store experience will be attractive to recruiters.

"We hear all the time that employers want to see students with leadership and work experience outside the classroom," she says.

The small, 300 square-foot store features the same high-quality logo merchandise that is sold at the University BookStores on campus. In addition, the off-campus location offers more convenient parking than the UA campus. Open during regular mall hours, the store is located on the second level of the Tucson Mall near Penney’s and Macy’s. The phone number is 520-887-9451.

"We'd love for people to show up and support the students," Burke says. "In addition to providing a great experience for students, the more successful the store, the more we can put back into student support and scholarships."