It is widely believed that the bottle stores and bars are hardest hit by the exodus of Rhodes students during vacations – but the clothing business is stripped and the fast food industry is left bruised and battered as well.
It is widely believed that the bottle stores and bars are hardest hit by the exodus of Rhodes students during vacations – but the clothing business is stripped and the fast food industry is left bruised and battered as well.
The clothing industry, which relies heavily on the tastes of young adults, regularly bears the brunt of their absence. The manager of Mr Price, Gershon du Plessis, said he was left in no doubt as to the control students had on his sales. “Because we sell fashionable items, students want to buy fashionable clothes,” he said. “Many are attracted by our new system, where they can look for items online – and if we don’t have it, we will order it from another branch especially for them.”
Du Plessis admitted, however, that there are other times when sales go down.
“Right in the middle of every month, sales drop because people lack the money to buy clothes. The same is true for January and February, because that is the period right after Christmas, when everyone has spent lots of money on Christmas gifts.”
However, he believed that the role of students in general business practice, not only his own, is massive. “Without students, there are only small numbers of people in the town. Students want to be in fashion. When they are not around, sales naturally drop. In short, they make our money.”
Both the fast food and liquor businesses are affected when Rhodes is on vacation and they feel the effects almost immediately. According to Steers and Fishaways general manager, Pierre Pienaar, his restaurants take a big hit soon after the start of the holidays. He said Steers sales drop 20% during the June-July vacation, while Fishaways drops 5%. Pienaar said that although reduced burger consumption hits them hard, it is an improvement over several years ago when sales drops were estimated at 50%. Although this statistic reflects sales after the National Arts Festival, it is based on pre-Festival sales.
David Thomson, manager of Buddies Liquor Store, admitted that liquor sales are affected when students are away. “We experience about a 20% decrease in sales,” Thomson estimated. This contrasts with his busiest periods during the year, namely the annual Tri-Varsity competition and the term just before final exams, when many students consume vast amounts of alcohol before studying begins. Despite the general perception that students have a dramatic impact on sales, Thomson said, “We are able to survive without students.”
