ASUCLA optimistic about on-line sales
INTERNET:Increasing number of customers hit web site for
purchases
By Michael Weiner
Daily Bruin Contributor
With a dismal financial picture, a loan from the university and
a five-year turnaround plan, it would seem that the Associated
Students of UCLA
(ASUCLA) does not have much to be hopeful about.
But with its recent success in electronic commerce, the student
union’s future looks a little brighter.
And if the Internet is truly the wave of the future, ASUCLA may
be well on its way to financial recovery.
The UCLA Store made close to $16,000 in on-line sales in
December, more than doubling the total of the previous month.
December marks the highest sales volume since the student union
introduced on-line sales in November 1996.
On-line sales from November totaled about $7,500, and sales from
October were about $3,000.
"The numbers at this point aren’t very big, but the trends are
very positive and we’re very encouraged by that," said Terence
Hsiao, ASUCLA director of business development.
Currently, Bearwear and general books, not including textbooks,
are available for purchase on the web site, which is located at
http://www.uclastore.ucla.edu. Most of the sales so far have been
in Bearwear.
ASUCLA Executive Director Patricia Eastman attributes the high
sales to greater awareness of the site and the success of the
football team.
"We’re experiencing a really good increase," Eastman said. "I
think the medium is really maturing."
Hsiao, who heads up the student union’s electronic commerce,
said the success is due to several factors.
"More people are aware of it, more people are comfortable buying
on line, and we are offering broader merchandise," Hsiao said.
"When people come back and take a look, there is something fresh
and interesting," he continued.
Soon, faculty members will be able to request the books for
their classes on line. This will eliminate past difficulties,
according to Hsiao.
"In the past, we’ve had problems where professors have had a
book they wanted to use that was no longer in print," Hsiao
said.
When professors make on-line requests, there will be an
automatic database search to make sure the book is available.
This spring, graduating students will be able to order their
graduation materials on line. The store hopes to make computer
software available on the web site, although plans are not
definitive.
"We want to make sure that we make things as convenient as
possible for our customers," Hsiao said.
In October, Microsoft, whose software was used to create the
UCLA Store web site, began using the site as an example for other
universities to build their stores’ web pages.
"We probably offer the widest variety of things on line as any
college store," Hsiao continued.
ASUCLA would also like to put lecture notes on line, although
Hsiao is not optimistic.
"We’d like to figure out a way to make lecture notes available
on line, but we haven’t figured out how to make it cost effective,"
Hsiao said.
Hsiao said that the site receives several thousand hits per day
and the customers are primarily UCLA alumni.
"We view this as a complement to our physical store, not a
replacement or a substitute," he said.