C-Store markups cause IU students to weigh convenience against price

Kraft Easy Mac is the ultimate college convenience. Pour in the water, put it in the microwave, pour in the cheese, stir and eat to your gut’s delight. But convenience on IU’s campus can be costly.

A six-pack of the cheesy goodness is $7.79 at any C-Store, but a short walk or drive down Third Street to the local Target could save you more than $5 if faux mac-and-cheese is what you are craving.

Students are questioning whether it’s worth sacrificing price for the convenience of shopping on campus.

“It is completely overpriced,” said freshman Samuel Bloom. 

Bloom sat outside of the Willkie Residence Center C-Store eating his lunch, which consisted of a wrap, a bag of chips and a Fuze. He said his lunch cost him $10.
However, Bloom still chooses to make regular trips to the C-Store.

“It is pretty convenient, and I love the wraps,” he said. “The C-Store has shorter lines than something like El Bistro in Read.”

Most students agree with Bloom, saying the C-Store makes their busy lives easier.

“It is slightly overpriced, but it is just convenient when you are living in the dorms,” said sophomore Allison Baker.

Baker said she has meal points, so she might as well put them to use.
In fact, many students feel the same way about their meal points due to the new Cream and Crimson plans for this year.

Students who have the Cream plan get a 60 percent discount on C-Store purchases, and students who have the Crimson plan get a 25 percent discount.

“I don’t really notice the prices mostly because of the new discount you get,” said sophomore Greg Buck.

The discounts help students shop on campus and still get a deal.

“It is a rip-off if you don’t have the 60-percent-off discount from meal points,” said sophomore Adam Hapner.

Although students still choose to shop at the C-Stores, many wonder where their money goes and why the markups are so high.

“We are not a chain that has purchasing power like stores such as Sam’s Club or even 7-Eleven and Village Pantry,” said Residential Programs and Services Director of Dining Services Sandra Fowler.

As a result, RPS pays more for products than larger chains.

She also made it clear that even when you go to a store like 7-Eleven, there are higher prices compared to a store such as Kroger. 

After all, the C-Store is a convenience store, she said.

Errol Huffman, dining services business manager, said another reason the prices are higher in the C-Stores is because someone else prepared the food and did the marketing. 

“It is just the cost of doing business,” he said.

RPS uses the money students pay for food to cover costs and support other programs within RPS, Huffman said.

Fowler said RPS not only pays for the food but also labor, maintenance, repairs and other overhead costs.

“The cost of supplies and expenses is the largest, all-encompassing piece,” Huffman said.

Sophomore Lauren Schwartz said she thinks the system is working.

“It might be a couple cents more than you pay in a store,” she said, but she said she felt it’s  worth it.

However, Huffman said the students make the ultimate decision.

“The C-Stores are not the best value. The best is traditional dining,” Huffman said. “It is how you choose to shop.”