Barnes & Noble College Takes Over UC Berkeley Student Stores as Campus Retail Undergoes Major Changes

Barnes & Noble College has assumed operations of UC Berkeley’s student stores following what university officials described as a “highly competitive process,” according to a press release announcing the partnership.

The national retailer now manages the Cal Student Store on Bancroft Way, the store inside the Helen Diller Anchor House, and the new California Memorial Stadium Store, along with e-commerce operations. The partnership officially began on January 20.

According to the press release, the collaboration aims to “modernize and elevate campus retail, leverage best-in-class technology to enhance the customer experience, improve affordability and access to course materials, and deepen engagement across the Golden Bear community.”

The company plans to implement what the press release calls a “modern layout, improved flow, and a more customer-friendly environment” along with an “elevated merchandising assortment.” This includes exclusive items from Ebbets Field, the athletic apparel brand known for throwback caps and jerseys.

Barnes & Noble College operates more than 1,160 physical and virtual stores nationwide as a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble Education, which Barnes & Noble spun off as an independent public company in 2015. The press release did not disclose financial terms of the UC Berkeley partnership.

The Cal Student Store operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Meanwhile, Berkeley’s retail landscape continues evolving with new arrivals and transitions. Free People opened a new location on Fourth Street on January 30, bringing the bohemian women’s apparel brand to the popular shopping district.

The store carries pants, tops, dresses, sweaters, outerwear, and accessories including leather bags and belts, according to store information. Its beauty and wellness line features natural perfumes, lip oils, lotions, candles, and diffusers.

Free People operates more than 200 locations across the United States and distributes through more than 1,400 specialty stores worldwide. The brand traces its origins to West Philadelphia in the early 1970s when Dick Hayne founded it before renaming his company Urban Outfitters. Urban Outfitters revived the Free People name in 1984 with a wholesale line, and the first Free People boutique opened in Paramus, New Jersey, in 2002.

Hayne also founded Anthropologie, which maintains a Fourth Street location. The new Free People store operates Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In the Elmwood district, Elements on College Avenue faces a transition as owners Jason Wayman and Melissa Schappert seek someone to take over their family-run apparel store after more than 30 years in business.

Wayman emphasized that Elements is not closing due to poor performance, noting that business has been “buoyant” even during the pandemic. Instead, the couple is retiring for health reasons and personal considerations.

“You get to a point where you’re saying, what am I waiting for?” Wayman said. “Am I going to travel and see the world or am I just going to allow myself to keep working until I’m buried in a coffin?”

According to Wayman, Elements functions like a “mini department store” with clothing, lingerie, shoes, accessories, and handmade jewelry. The store currently offers 30% off all merchandise as part of its retirement sale while the owners search for a successor to continue the business.

These changes reflect Berkeley’s dynamic retail environment, from major corporate partnerships at UC Berkeley to independent businesses navigating ownership transitions in established shopping districts.