Should Rutgers Open Ticket Kiosks in Malls

[HeavenUniv.]

The Asbury Park Press had an article today about new types of businesses opening in New Jersey malls (such as real estate offices and health clubs). Do you think Rutgers should have ticket and merchandise sales kiosks/store locations in New Jersey malls. If you think yes,should they be in ones close to the Piscataway/New Brunswick campus (such as Bridgewater Commons) or in other parts of the state (Deptford Mall,Jackson Outlets,Secaucus Outlets,Ocean County Mall,Rockaway Townsquare,Phillipsburg Mall,Atlantic City Outlets,Lafayette Village,Garden State Plaza,etc.) ?

 

[Upstream]

No.

There is no purpose to having a ticket office in a mall. Tickets are mostly sold on-line or over the phone. Rutgers would never sell enough additional tickets at a mall kiosk to justify the expense of staffing the kiosk.

And Rutgers is not in the business of running merchandise retail stores. If a store like Scarlet Fever wanted to open in a mall, that's a different story. Likewise, it is a different story if Rutgers were to license a retail chain, similar to how Lids Clubhouse has a license to operate "Official" Ohio State and Iowa stores. But it makes no sense for Rutgers to operate retail stores on its own.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

Upstream,
Even on a temporary basis (say just June/July/August) ? Some of those kiosks must not cost much because I see everything from places selling key chains to Elvis velvets. LOL

 

[Scarlet16E]

who still goes to he mall?
can't remember when I last set foot in one.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

who still goes to he mall?
can't remember when I last set foot in one.

True. Not many people I know go mall shopping. When I go, I usually only hit an anchor store (like Boscov's or JCPenney in Woodbridge Center) and never step foot in the mall.

http://davidstockmanscontracorner.c...are-dying-a-slow-ugly-death-business-insider/

 

[Upstream]

Upstream,
Even on a temporary basis (say just June/July/August) ? Some of those kiosks must not cost much because I see everything from places selling key chains to Elvis velvets. LOL

OK. You do a seasonal kiosk to do what?

Sell tickets? Most people don't need a minimum wage flunky to type a ticket order into a computer at a mall kiosk. They can do that themselves at home.

Sell merchandise? What is it that you are going to fit in a mall kiosk? At most you can fit a couple of hats or t-shirts. Maybe at Christmastime you can have kiosks with Rutgers overpriced gift items (golf balls, mugs, housewares). But again, Rutgers isn't in the business of running retail shops. They know nothing about how to set up the kiosk, staff it, manage inventory, etc. If a retail company is interested in licensing from Rutgers, great; but I don't see Rutgers doing this on their own.