Bentonville Students Learn Business Through Store

Freshman Hunter Cowing, left, and senior Elisse Davis work in the Tiger Prints student-run store at Bentonville High School on Monday. Students in the Small Business Operations class and the DECA club at the school gain hands-on retail experience selling T-shirts, hoodies and other school spirit items from the store that’s open before and after school, during lunch and on Friday’s before football games.
Freshman Hunter Cowing, left, and senior Elisse Davis work in the Tiger Prints student-run store at Bentonville High School on Monday. Students in the Small Business Operations class and the DECA club at the school gain hands-on retail experience selling T-shirts, hoodies and other school spirit items from the store that’s open before and after school, during lunch and on Friday’s before football games.

BENTONVILLE — A store run by students inside the high school has recorded sales of more than $8,000 since its grand opening less than a month ago, according to the teacher who oversees it.

Tiger Prints sells a variety of T-shirts and sweatshirts with the school’s Tiger logo. It also carries other items such as Tiger blankets, notebooks and cups.

The store’s debut Sept. 13 coincided with the football team’s first home game of the season. It did about $2,000 in sales that day alone, said Margot Cowing, the business teacher primarily responsible for launching the store.

Cowing, who teaches five sections of small business operations, said all 145 of her students have some kind of a role in Tiger Prints, which is open early each morning and during lunches. It also is open before home football games.

“This is our learning lab,” Cowing said.

Cowing applied for and received a grant of about $42,000 from the state Department of Career Education to pay for the store’s construction, fixtures and technology. The store was built this past summer next to the main office in the school’s North Building, absorbing part of what used to be empty hallway space.

“I feel very fortunate that we have this position,” Cowing said. “I think it contributes to our success.”

Student workers serve customers at a window. About 25 different items are available and on display inside.

During a lunch period on Monday, senior Elisse Davis and freshman Hunter Cowing — Margot Cowing’s son — manned the store.

Davis is an officer in the school’s chapter of DECA, an organization focused on business and entrepreneurship. She said she’s learned a lot about retail from working at Tiger Prints.

“I’d say right at the end of lunches is when we’re the busiest,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

Hunter Cowing said he enjoys painting the windows to advertise new promotions and changing displays in the showcases.

“Once you get trained on how to do it, it’s pretty easy,” he said.

Tiger Prints launched with about $7,000 in merchandise, Margot Cowing said. That money came from an activity account provided by the School District’s central office. Eventually the store will turn a profit, and that money will go toward student scholarships, she said.

Cowing’s students are conducting market research to determine what items the store should carry in the future. The students are asked to survey not only students, but also parents and alumni, because those are potential customers as well. The students will decide what they sell.

“I will help guide them, but usually when 150 kids say something will sell, it will,” Cowing said. “If the kids get to make a choice, they’ll be more invested in the outcome of what they’re doing.”

From their involvement in the store, students are getting lessons in marketing, finance and customer service they wouldn’t necessarily get from a textbook. When a technical problem slowed down the rate at which purchases could be processed opening night, Cowing and the students went outside the store and began taking orders from people in line to help serve customers quicker.

“It’s how you think and solve problems that sets you apart in the workplace,” Cowing said. “It’s great to see students think on their feet.”

The store is not able to accept credit or debit cards yet, but that ability will come eventually, Cowing said. The store has one point of sale now, but there’s another window where another point of sale will be added at some point.

Upcoming Events