When the Catamount Store opened its doors for business on the Church Street Marketplace just over a year ago, hopes were high that it would give the university a larger off-campus presence as well as turn a profit. Based on sales figures and the clientele of the 2,300-square-foot store, both goals have come to fruition.

Jay Menninger, manager of the UVM Bookstore, said sales exceeded expectations by five percent since the store opened on Aug. 24, 2010 bringing in $438,000 during the 10-month period covering fiscal year 2011. Store merchandise including apparel, gifts, Vermont products, books and other UVM-related products sold well across the board with sports-related athletic gear such as hockey and basketball jerseys leading the way.

There was concern that the Catamount Store, located at 46 Church Street facing Outdoor Gear Exchange and soon-to-be-opened Panera Bread, might take sales away from UVM Bookstore in the Dudley H. Davis Center. But Menninger said the downtown store attracted a different clientele such as tourists from Canada and New York who normally wouldn’t drive to campus or might have trouble finding the bookstore inside the student center. Sales remained constant at the on-campus location (more than $2 million in apparel and other products) and online at uvmstore.uvm.edu.

“The downtown location really enhanced our brand and gave us the off-campus presence we needed and really brought the university to our customers,” said Menninger. “Overall, I’m ecstatic with the success of the new store, especially given the state of the economy.”

The addition of a locker room-themed section in the back of the store complete with refurbished lockers from Gutterson also boosted sales at the store, which is a joint venture between the UVM Bookstore and UVM Athletics. Future plans include big screen televisions featuring UVM athletic events and a kiosk where fans can buy hockey and basketball tickets.

Last year's return of students in late August and Homecoming & Family Weekend were among the store’s busiest weekends. The return of the Stanley Cup on Saturday, Sept. 3, courtesy of Boston Bruins star and UVM alumnus Tim Thomas ’97 is also expected to be bring more customers in. The Cup will be paraded down Church Street starting at 9:30 a.m. culminating with a stop on upper Church Street near the Catamount Store. The Cup came to the store last year thanks to former UVM strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman, currently strength and conditioning coach for the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks.

“The Marketplace and university have always had a deep connection,” said Ron Redmond, executive director for the Church Street Marketplace. “Church Street is a great recruiting tool for students and has always been a meeting place for faculty and staff, so we were thrilled when the store opened and provided a physical connection. The store has exceeded our expectations and continues to help increase foot traffic on the Marketplace. The potential for growth is definitely there.”