Finals Edition: Local businesses adapt to finals week

Different students handle stress differently. Throughout finals week, some slump over books, while others sip on brews or shop for holiday presents.

With some students cooped up in their rooms and in the library instead of out and about in Oakland, local businesses can expect to see a variety of changes. The typical bustle of campus lessens as students focus on their schoolwork, cramming material into their brains for one last chance at a successful semester and yearning for the overwhelming sense of relief that follows.  

With fewer students walking around campus, the typical attention-grabbing techniques of Forbes Avenue clothing and footwear stores, such as Ace Athletic and New Balance, might be less effective than usual.

The employees at New Balance put up holiday decorations and offer a $20 gift card for purchases of more than $100 if customers bring in three canned items to donate to a local food bank.

But Molly Smith, a Pitt senior and manager of the New Balance store, said she expects the store’s sales to decline.

“Business will definitely slow down during the week because students aren’t out walking around,” Smith said. “At the end of the week, it usually becomes decent again.”

T.J. Schmidt, manager of the Ace Athletic store on Forbes Avenue, has noticed a similar pattern. During a regular week, students stop to look at the diverse window display of jerseys, sneakers, hats and other athletic accessories. But he said the browsing often halts when students’ priorities shift to exams.

“There is a huge decrease in foot traffic on Forbes during finals week,” Schmidt said. “Most students are buried in their books in the library, so it definitely takes away from business.”

Smith and Schmidt said that neither of their respective stores changed their hours during finals week.

Other managers anticipate booming business during finals week. 

John Sciullo, the manager of the RadioShack on Forbes Avenue, expects business to increase. Sciullo said he has noticed a surge in sales during past fall finals weeks, and he expects the trend to continue. 

“We expect to see a big increase in the sales of not only practical items like printer paper, printer ink and flash drives, but also things that can be used for stress relief like headphones and earbuds,” Sciullo said.

But students aren’t always mired in stress during finals week. 

For some, including junior architecture major Noah Rabin, a strong work ethic comes with an equally strong desire to celebrate once tests are over. 

“Last year, my friends and I kind of made it tradition to meet up at Fuel and Fuddle once all of our finals are done. It’s one of the only really good sit-down restaurants on campus, so it’s nice to have a place to finally chill and talk about our plans for break once all the stress is gone,” Rabin said.

Fuel and Fuddle, a popular restaurant located on Bouquet Street, sees one its busiest weeks of the year during fall finals, according to restaurant manager Brandon Smith (no relation to Molly).

In past years, Brandon Smith said beer sales have spiked because students often go out to relax after finals, but said the restaurant has its slowest week of the year when temporary Oakland residents go home for break.

Similarly, Hemingway’s Cafe on Forbes Avenue will probably see a boost in activity during finals week. 

Employees are prepared for business to pick up when students come in for a drink to relieve the stress of finals or unwind after hard work is complete, according to Lindsay Wineland, a manager at the bar. 

Wineland said there are more students in the bar during winter finals week than at other times in the semester. But she said the bar sees larger crowds during spring finals week, when all the seniors prepare to graduate. 

In the winter, sales tend to pick up Monday through Wednesday of finals week, and then students typically go home for the holidays, according to Wineland. But during spring finals, many students still have leases on their houses and stay in Oakland, she added. 

“A lot of our regulars will comment on how stressed out they are, but most aren’t here stressing,” Wineland said. “They are here partying.”