Shopping is a routine part of daily life, with the average consumer spending $77,280 annually on goods and services, according to Shopify. However, difficulties in purchasing or finding products can cause shopping rates to plummet and, in the case of Trinity spirit wear and essentials, create polarization among the community. In efforts to mitigate the issues embedded in the old website and create a greater sense of unity, the new Trinity Prep store opened on Dec. 16, offering school gear, spirit wear and other essentials for students, faculty and parents alike.

   “We have about seven bits of clothing, hats, shirts, hoodies, half-zips, keychains, ponchos, power banks, water bottles, pens, journals [and] glasses,” Director of Auxiliary Programs Vincent Schachner said. “We’ve started small, and we’ll slowly build up from here.”

   However, the store’s launch has not been without its challenges. Due to its somewhat unorthodox timing during the weeks preceding exams, the opening was met with lower-than-expected traffic.

   “We had a soft rollout, and then we sent out an email during exam week, so there wasn’t that much traffic,” Schachner said. “We hope to keep promoting the store in the coming weeks to get a little more foot traffic.”

   Schachner, however, has future plans with a more comprehensive promotional strategy to garner more attention for the new store.

   “We plan on announcing [the store] in assemblies [and] putting flyers up,” Schachner said. “We’ve done emails and texts, but we can keep that promotion going. I’m planning on setting up a shop at sporting events. Showing up at events will keep the word of mouth going.”

   As part of this strategy to address these challenges and maximize visibility, the store relocated from the fine arts building to the athletics area near the DAC on Feb. 19, aiming to increase traffic and accessibility for both students and parents.

   “This [location] will be more central [and] more people from the community can visit the store,” Schachner said. “It’s a better location for more foot traffic. Hopefully, we will be able to be more involved in athletic events too.

   Despite the slow start, the store’s goals go well beyond sales. Rather, the focus is centered around promoting Trinity’s new logo on all merchandise to ensure its visibility throughout campus, from the writing utensils students use during the day to the apparel they wear, fostering a stronger sense of community and school spirit.

   “[The store] is another way to generate revenue for the school, but more importantly, it is for getting the brand out [and] having everyone on the same team wearing the same [clothes],” Schachner said.

   Head of School Byron Lawson agrees that similarly branded items foster unity and connection across the 6,700 members of the Trinity community.

   “You want things that unify the community and take our bigger community and [make it] … more aligned in how we express ourselves about the school,” Lawson said.

   While the administration aims for consistency in the merchandise’s appearance, some students believe more variety in the store’s offerings would be more appealing.

   “Until the moment Trinity actually commits fully to uniforms, there’s going to be little to no incentive to buy these types of clothing,” senior Nicholas Saraiva said. “For someone like myself, I’d much rather use the brands of clothing that I have because I get to choose the type of material my clothing’s made [of], the colors I want [and] where my brand logo is. ”

   Student Body President Connor Nanus shared that students were initially involved in contributing ideas for the store, and believes that continued student involvement would benefit both the store and the remainder of the student body.

   “[By] just letting student organizations have more control over [the store] and taking this more from an educational point of view, we can teach kids how to run a business [and] design products,” Nanus said. “We can promote art.”

   Saraiva agrees that a more student-driven approach to the store’s product selection could help better reflect the tastes and preferences of the student body.

   “Students know students the best,” Saraiva said.

   Schachner is already looking to the future, developing several upcoming initiatives that will make the store more accessible and responsive to the needs of both the student body and parents.

   “We’ll eventually get to the online setup for the store,” Schachner said. “We will be the ones you’ll go to if you’ve lost your P.E. uniform. We’ll keep adding different products.”

   Lawson echoes this sentiment, highlighting the school’s efforts to foster a sense of community while also honoring Trinity’s rich history and legacy.

   “We are always trying to find ways for you to exhibit and display your school pride, but also to take students who are graduating in 2025 and find a path to commiserate with a student who graduated in 1986,” Lawson said.

   As the store continues to evolve with new ideas and initiatives, Schachner underscores that its purpose expands beyond merely revenue and merchandise.

   “[This store] is a part of advancing our educational institution and getting the brand out to the world,” Schachner said. “It’s a school that we can all be proud of, and you can wear the shirt proudly and let everyone know that you go there.”