School Store Nike Apparel - Liz Farnan/ The Towerlight

For the new academic year, Towson students will be treated to a wider variety of brand name Towson apparel in the University Store than in years past.

The store has recently added names such as Nike, Polo, Cutter & Buck, Izod and JanSport, and will continue to sell Under Armour.

The store has been working hard to make students’ shopping experience more enjoyable and efficient.

“We’ll round out the selection,” University Store director Stacy Elofir said. “I’m not opposed to anything at this point. I’m going to get what people want to buy.”

It isn’t an additional cost to the store or the University to offer additional brands, according to Elofir.

“It should help the University Store, the University and ultimately the students to have a wide and successful selection.”

The store is actually making money, as the brands are also charged a small licensing fee to use the Towson logo.

That fee goes back to the University.

As of Monday, Aug. 23, only one Nike shirt has been put on the rack.

Four hats, one visor, one sweatshirt and two T-shirts all with the Nike and Towson logos on them are expected to arrive in the store soon.

All of these brand names will be fully available for the Fall 2010 semester.

In order to make the shopping more consumer- friendly, the male and female apparel sections have been switched.

The girls section is now in the front of the store and the boys section is moved to the back.

“With 65 percent women here, they’re the ones shopping,” Elofir said.

Elofir has been working hard to create an even better shopping experience for current and future students since she took over the role of director in December, 2009.

“We’re just trying to offer more,” she said.

The Towson University athletics department has an exclusive contract with Under Armour attire, but that does not inhibit the University Store from selling merchandise from other apparel companies.