Penn State will close its computer store in the HUB in May because of poor sales, the university announced Friday.
However, the school plans to expand its software licensing division, which already provides more than 20 software titles at low cost to students and substantially reduced costs of nearly 250 titles for faculty and staff. It will also continue to make additional products available for purchase via the Computer Store’s website at computerstore.psu.edu.
‘We have similarly determined sales at the Computer Store’s HUB location have been decreasing at an unsustainable rate,’ Janda Hankinson, director of Entrepreneurial Services within Information Technology Services, said in a pres release. ‘To best meet the needs of students, faculty and staff, the University needs to move away from an economic model that is no longer feasible – and strategically plan for our community’s needs in the future.’
At present, licensing initiatives have saved the University more than $40 Million per year, and these savings are expected to increase with current expansion plans, Penn State reported.
The store has been open for 25 years and will provide more detailed updates on the timing of the closing throughout the spring 2013 semester, according to Penn State.
