Erie Pa, — Gannon’s bookstore had its grand re-opening on Friday, October 27 with a new partnership announced with local business Erie Apparel.
With a new look the Gannon bookstore has been refreshed with a more accessible book and merchandise buying atmosphere.
Gannon’s Provost, Dr. Sarah Ewing, attended the ribbon cutting ceremony with bookstore partners from Follett. Dr. Ewing thanked partners from Follett and those who helped in reimagining the space at Gannon for their participation in creating a new inviting experience for students.
During the ribbon cutting Dr. Ewing said, “I am so proud to be here today with our partner Follett, and thankful for the investment they’ve made to really reimagine and bring this space forward for our students [and] for our community.”
Follett has been a long-term partner with Gannon for many years now and the newly renovated space is a step in continuing that partnership. The company helped give the space a new appearance and flow to make it more appealing for students.
Some improvements include the new graphics around the space, some new 3-D effects, and the inclusion of the knight mascot.
Drew Franczak, a reginal manager of sales and operations for Follet, attended the event and participated in the ribbon cutting.
“There are some big improvements,” said Franczak. “[The improvements] really reflect what we have to offer and the quality of the campus overall… it really dresses it up and gives [the bookstore] a clean and modern appearance.”
The renovations were a combination of hard work from both Follett and Gannon.
Along with the continued partnership with Follett, Gannon announced Erie Apparel’s new collegiate clothing line. Erie Apparel now has a place in the Gannon bookstore with Gannon and Erie focused clothing options.
One partner at the event from Erie Apparel said, “Our identity with Erie is all the things that make Erie great, which also includes the schools and universities.”
Gannon is the first university that Erie Apparel has partnered with for university specific attire. Some clothing items include the staple “814” Erie Apparel t-shirt with Gannon colors and there are also sweatshirts with varying designs.
“I just think it’s awesome that we can have a local business partner with a local university,” said another guest from Erie Apparel.
The new partnership will tie the local community and the university together. One hope for this partnership is to build a younger demographic in supporting the local Erie community and the businesses in the area.
Erie Apparel also wanted to bring light to giving back to the Erie Community by showing students job opportunities and connections in the area are available as one of their attending staff was a Gannon alumnus.
The bookstore re-opening has partners new and old coming together to celebrate the greatness that is Gannon University. Students are encouraged to come check out the new space and the new merchandise for all their Gannon book and apparel needs
