It didn't say they weren't making a profit. It said they don't have those convenience items with the sole purpose to make a profit. A little bit of a difference.

billnewbie: You are correct. They are all WEST of campus. Mistake on my part that's been fixed. Good catch.
Kayla Bunge
Reporter

Well put. I think we've collectively concurred this is pretty much life 101, live and learn. I think you ought to know this before you are in college! But hey, some tacks are sharper than others.

Hey those college kids (and mom's and dad's) have the $$$ spend it!! If you want "deals" you have to leave Whitewater. There is very little competition anywhere in town. ONE grocery store (Sentry) they can (and do) charge whatever they want!!. Maybe we should go back to take a class on economics 101. Supply Vs Demand. I agree w/ freeradical......I also have things for you to buy!!

The fact that an 18 year old thinks he's overpaying 30 cents for his Easy Mac is news? What a joke of an article.

Why is everyone so angry and critical?
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The kid is 18, living on his own for the first time as a freshman and asked a fair question...
Why do the groceries on the campus he pays tuition to charge more than the one down the street?
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Now, I am not sure why the gazette picked it up. Seems like a great piece for the Whitewater paper but it is what it is...
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As for Kwik Trip...My bad but a couple items doesn't make a store. If you are going for what he mentioned (mac & cheese for example it is a rip off. Yeah, bread, milk, bananas are great (hell I have a kwik trip card) but most items (the non-kiwk-&-low) you are going to pay more.

If you want it cheapest, find where it's cheapest. If you haven't learned to do this already, I have some things you might be interested in purchasing...

*The young man is a journalism major not an economics major. "Afflict the comforted" and comfort the afflicted" is the mantra in most J schools today.*

That explains everything. When the dictatorship of the proletariat that most j-majors want is finally installed, every food stuff will cost the same at every retail outlet.

I might add that I find myself buying milk from kwik trip pretty often, because it is one of the cheapest around. Bread and bananas as well. But basically this is a story about someone that DARED to go against his ability to be lazy and to refuse to keep track of what he buys. In times like these, this story holds even less water than it would if we were all better off! I just don't understand why we are applauding someone for shopping around? I mean, i'd rather read up on the idiot that doesn't, then the average person who does/should. Sorry to sound like I'm trying to minimize it all here, but come on. I will applaud it for making me redirect my attention from heart wrenching stories I'm reading otherwise, a.k.a. Fort Hood and Miami shootings. =( Prayers to those, and I'm not even religious.

Kwik trip was a horrible example, I regress, but the general idea is the same. Basically we're applauding someone for shopping around. What?

common_sense_101 - You betcha! Their soda singles are comparable and so are the 12-packs. I wouldn't buy hair spray, canned foods, T.P., or anything like that. Their sandwiches (hot and cold) are very reasonable, too.

The young man is a journalism major not an economics major. "Afflict the comforted" and comfort the afflicted" is the mantra in most J schools today.

I doubt the convenience store has tested the upper limits of retail pricing. As the weather gets colder the retailer would be wise to increase prices even more as less and less would be inclined to walk a half mile in frigid weather for "easy Mac" or a 12 pack of Coca cola. The marginal increase in revenue could be used to expand the options and draw more customers to the store....

Uh, the prices are higher on campus because the school has to pay for that extra service... it's BUSINESS.

freeradical: Actually kwik trip has some decent prices on milk, bananas, and potatoes...even cheaper than WalMart and Woodmans. Don't know about the other convenience stores around.

Gotta come to Sentry's defense here: they are some of the cleanest, most well run stores I have ever been in, with friendly employees and convenient access. They are also great corporate citizens, being very involved in the community in many ways. Maybe you think driving across town to save 30 cents on pizza is worth your while, but its not worth mine.

Isn't Sentry, Rocky's and Subway all WEST of campus, since they are all west of highway N and on the west side of Whitewater?

Hey Andrew- DUH! When I went to UWW I tried to live off the points system for a semester-It was a total ripoff. So I switched to the full meal deal. I got 3 meals a day at all I could eat and spent way less for it. Get a meal plan and eat at the dining rooms and it won't be a problem. This is a non-story.

Convenience=Profit. Ever bought anything at kwik trip or any other corner store? What is the issue here?

This is just a lesson for the rest of your life. People need to look at the prices of what they are buying (for anything). It's the same with convenience stores versus regular grocery stores, too. MrBlack hit the nail on the head.

This is an odd little story to put in the newspaper.

If our college students are not bright enough to notice that the prices are more expensive for items in the convenience store on campus, maybe they shouldn't be in school.

No one shopped at the store on campus at the state school I attended unless they were desperate--be it because the weather was bad and they didn't want to walk, were massively craving junk food and didn't have the time to shop off-campus or were just too lazy.

Sad that this kid's discovery of this fact warranted a news story.

What a great education for this young man. He has learned that you pay a price for convienence. It may not seem fair, but at the local Stop-n-Go or Kwik Trip I spend more on a soda, candy bar or large bag of trips than at the local grocery store.
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Are they ripping me off? Maybe, but if I am traveling or on my way to work I am willing to pay a little more for the conviences vs. walking all over Woodman's or Walmart for some chips and a soda.
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As an 18 year old, I didn't realize this either. I will say this...it is unfortunate that between the tuition, room and board that Whitewater can't match Sentry Prices. Like most have said, it isn't like Sentry is a bargain.

We elected to compare prices at UW-Whitewater with those at Sentry because that is what is close to campus. It would not be fair to compare it to Woodman's because there is no Woodman's in Whitewater.
Kayla Bunge
Reporter

"Dodge said for many students, especially those who live in the dorms and don’t have a car, eating meals in campus dining facilities is their only option."

Too funny. Students in their late teens and early twenties can't traverse a half mile if they don't have a car.

I've got news for them. Compared to other area grocery stores the prices at Sentry are no bargin either.

To compare with Sentry's would not give better deal as Sentry's is higher compare with Woodmans or Walmart and you will see even more savings. it is great to see kids trying to find better prices and conserve.

I think it is great that a freshman took note of this.Great article! In today's economy it is everything a student and family can do to afford tuition and food and housing. We can understand a convenience mart, but the university should not be profiting this way from the students. They already make money off the meal plans.

Or jump in a car with a few friends and head to Janesville...that's where most of Whitewater shops when it wants to save actual money (even their Wal-mart was always more expensive).

I think it's great that this student looked at the big picture. Everyone is trying to save a buck or two and this could help some. Good job!

As long as the students keep buying them, the store is going to set those prices. Ride your bike to Walmart if you want to save some money

Exactly! Also, the breakfast, lunch and dinner are "All You Can Eat".

I went to Whitewater and ate at Drumlin everyday. Took me a few years after college ended to get that weight back off.

I don't think that we should be all that surprised that grocery items are more expensive on campus. After all, they are there for convenience and when it comes to convenience you pay the price!