Education | New student-run shops open on UM’s campus

Four new student-run stores have opened on the University of Macau’s (UM) campus. According to a press release, UM launched these shops in order to give students an opportunity to learn how to run a business and to provide more choices and convenience for people on campus. Student founders have said that running a store on campus will help them put their knowledge into practice and increase their sense of belonging in the university.
The Creatist Shop – a brand of UM souvenirs – is located in the University Gallery (E1). The brand was co-founded by six UM students. “We’ve encountered various problems in organization, management, and promotion,” said one of the co-founders, surnamed Lai. “Despite these problems, we will work hard to launch more UM souvenirs for students to increase their sense of belonging to the university.”
On The Run is another UM student-run shop. In order to promote sustainable transport on campus, the store provides bike purchase and maintenance services. It also provides parcel collection and delivery services on the side for UM members. The founder, surnamed Li, is a student from the Faculty of Science and Technology.
Miss U is a snack shop aimed at providing more dining choices for UM members. A student surnamed Wan from the Faculty of Social Sciences, who is also the founder of the shop, says: “Opening a snack shop has always been my dream. I really appreciate this opportunity and will collect feedback from our customers and continuously work on improving the service.”
In addition to providing opportunities for students to start their own businesses, UM also provides support in shop design, promotion, and performance evaluation. Later this academic year, UM will open a new convenience store, a cafe, and furniture shop.