Video: Back In Business As MSU Students Return

By: Salena Schaffer

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)-

Mississippi State freshman are already having their orientations learning about local Starkville.

As they prepare to start classes in a couple of weeks, local businesses are also preparing- for them that is!

Managers at restaurants and stores in Starkville say they sometimes see a decrease in sales between spring and fall semesters.

But as students return and new students arrive, they adjust business hours to accommodate the increased traffic.

“Uh well when 20-thousand people move in you know we extend hours, you know we’re open till 8 a lot of days once school starts up and we usually close at six in the summer when there’s less people.”said Raye.

Stan Raye is the General Manager at Starkville’s Campus Book Mart.

The store not only supplies students with needed textbooks but also stocks an array of apparel and accessories.

Raye says the increase in sales also requires extra staff, especially during designated seasons.

“We have to hire some extra staff fall semester, you know we have back to school, football season, you know Christmas Season coming up so it takes extra staff.”said Raye.

Heath Barret is the director of membership development with the Starkville Partnership.

He says that they help get the word out about local businesses to new college student’s by allowing them to advertise in what they call “freshman bags”.

“And what that means is our members can put an item 8 and a half by 11 or smaller in a bag and those are going top be placed on all of the beds so that the students that are going to be moving in this weekend with move in day, they’ll have a better idea as to what’s available for them in the Starkville community.” said Barret.

Barrett says most businesses this summer didn’t see much of a difference.

“I’ve talked to a lot of businesses over the summer that said they really didn’t notice that big of a drop this summer.” said Barret.