Self-proclaimed bargain shopper Elizabeth Walker, a communication disorders sophomore, relies on student-friendly businesses for prices that agree with her student budget.
“I think that some of the local businesses do a great job of catering to students, and I like to frequent those places. I like to support places that support students,” said Walker.
Businesses that depend on the students as consumers offer incentives to boost their sales. Restaurants, apartment complexes, cell phone companies and others have devised discounts and deals that reduce the strain on the student budget and attract more college customers.
Winners Circle Car Care Center is hosting a party Homecoming day for the LSU community, which makes up 80 percent of the center’s customers.
“The purpose of LSU Appreciation Day is to educate the public in car-care safety, but at the same time thank the loyal students who are our customers,” said sales manager Jeff Rametta.
With refreshments and competitions that can earn participants prizes, Winners Circle hopes to attract a large turnout. Mechanics will perform air pressure checks, top off fluids and shine tires free of charge.
“One of the main reasons we are doing this is because we see poorly maintained cars around LSU. Students don’t take care of their cars for financial reasons – it’s expensive to maintain a vehicle,” Rametta said. “We want to focus on tire education and give back to the community.”
Although some students trust their hometown mechanic for their car-care needs, Winners Circle receives a significant amount of its new business by word-of-mouth, said Rametta.
“People call their parents, but they usually don’t know what’s wrong with their cars. We explain the problem to their parents and discuss repairs with them,” Rametta said. “We have a loyal following. People who are graduating now initially came in as freshmen. We deal with customers around 18 to 23. Most of the time it is their first time away from home with car problems.”
Tanning Authority manager Ken Jervey also works with student consumers. Jervey’s goal is to tap into the largest age demographic that tans: women ages 18 to 34 years old. According to an article from Tanning Trends, the rural, Southern region of the United States is the fastest-growing area for tanning.
“Ninety percent of my customers are college students or college-age,” Jervey said. “I cater to the college crowd because they are a major part of my business and the prime age group for tanning.”
To keep Tanning Authority user-friendly for the college-age group, Jervey set up a system that does not require tanning contracts, which would entail large amounts of money for a long period of time. Tanning choices span from individual visits to month- or year-long packages.
“We keep our devoted customers because we become a part of their lives,” said Jervey. “As a result, they tell their friends, and the word-of-mouth advertising chain continues.”
Jervey thinks Tanning Authority’s location and low prices play a major factor in attracting students. The location has the highest concentration of prospective customers, with many apartment complexes adjacent to the business, said Jervey.
Jervey also points out that some tanning businesses are reluctant to have student customers because they are not always willing to buy the most expensive products.
“The other businesses are missing out on a huge group of tanning customers. I know students cannot pay high prices for a bottle of tanning lotion, but they are devoted customers, and that is satisfying to me,” said Jervey.