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School’s in! Vendors sigh with relief
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SONGJIANG University Town has returned to life as classes resume after the two-month summer holiday.
Snack shops, bike repair businesses, convenience stores, restaurants, music shops and booksellers in the town are all open and thriving on what is known as the “campus economy.”
“We’ve already dined together several times in nearby restaurants since returning to campus,” said Xiang Hua, a junior in the Shanghai University of Engineering. “There’s so much to catch up on. And since it’s the start of a new semester, we all have money to spend.”
Snack eateries on Miaoqian Street and in Ludu Square are much busier than usual these days. Most of their clients are students. “We’re full every day, especially during the lunch hour,” said one restaurant owner.
The Food Plaza near University Town is crawling with students.
“I shut my restaurant during the summer holiday because there was no business,” said a Sichuan hotpot restaurant owner. “Now, with the new semester, I’m short of hands. I do love when school is in session!”
Bookstores obviously benefit from the start of school as students scurry to buy materials for new classes. In the first week of September, the Xinhua Bookstore reported sales surged by almost 40 percent.
“Every student spends at least 100 yuan (US$16) on books,” said Hou Yingying, a worker in the bookstore.
Secondhand booksellers also are doing brisk business. They park their trucks alongside dormitories, offering used books at half price.
“I only paid about 60 yuan and got all I need for the new semester,” said Jiang Huaxin from the Donghua University. “These books would have cost me more than 300 yuan if I bought them in a bookstore.”
“Some students come to buy and some come to sell,” said one bookseller. “The beginning and the end of the semester are the peak periods.”
Many returning students need bike repairs after a summer of poor maintenance. “I repair 40-50 bikes every day, almost triple the usual volume,” said repairer Yang Ronghua.
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