First U of S online store now open for business

The University’s first online store is now open for business.

Set up to sell to U of S graduates, alumni and friends, the store grew out of a recent alumni survey that indicated an interest in being able to purchase merchandise online, said Dawn Warren, an alumni officer in Alumni Relations. Although the shop sells only degree frames and a Thorvaldson print right now, Warren said more items will be added in the future.

“We know this will be a convenience for alumni all over the world,” she said.

Designed and developed in-house in University Advancement, the online shopping site closely follows best practices used by large retailers, said James Johannesson, director of Advancement operations. It also could be easily adapted to other uses.

“The software was designed to lower maintenance over the long term,” said Johannesson, “and designed in a generic way so it can be used to sell just about anything.” Included in the package of software is a tool to monitor inventory, tracking of sales through the Advancement Customer Service Centre, and administrative and reporting functions.

To ensure security, the store uses the University’s e-payment gateway, he explained. When a purchase is made, the third-party payment provider Moneris handles the transaction so the University does not deal with credit card numbers or other personal financial information.

Johannesson said development costs amounted to about 200 days of staff time, which he expects will be recovered within the store’s first year of operation. Johannesson is also credited with the first transaction at the store site – he bought and then returned a frame. “I had to make sure that it worked.”