New Co-op Stores

The University of Shiga Prefecture was established in April 1995 in its present location, Hikone. The co-op store and cafeteria are located in the center of the campus, which is about 8.3 times the size of the Hanshin Koshien Stadium. As a commemorative project for the 25th anniversary in 2020, the store was renovated.

Before the renovation, the store was poorly lit and the queue for the cashier at lunch time was difficult to understand. The workflow was long. Several years ago, a working group of students from the Department of Life Design, led by the President of the University of Shiga Prefecture Co-op, who is also a faculty member of the Department of Life Design, was formed to conduct research and receive proposals for store renovations.

Meetings began in October 2018. The working group visited commercial facilities and other university co-op stores, made a model of the completed project, and developed a renovation plan. The group also gathered feedback from part-time employees. The feedback was reflected in the register layout, store layout and workflow.

In the white-toned store, wooden counter fixtures are used, and a new space is created for communicating student activities. We also installed cold storage units that can be used to replenish products from behind the shelves, and expanded the cargo handling and inventory storage areas. The renovation has been very well received by University of Shiga Prefecture Co-op members.