The Daily Gamecock

Colleges in Columbia create unique customer base for local business owners

The fashion industry in Columbia is youth-driven, causing business owners and managers to base their products and company plans around young customers, some Five Points shop owners and managers said.

Many colleges and universities in Columbia such as USC, Allen University, Benedict College and Columbia College open the revolving door for students and young people. This makes Columbia a seasonal town in terms of sales, co-owner of Ageless SC Brian Felder said. 

Ageless SC was started by Felder and co-owners Tristan Clarke and Anton Outing.  In its first stage, it was a vintage market that hosted smaller fashion businesses and sneaker events in South Carolina and surrounding areas. Ageless SC then opened its first brick-and-mortar store on Oct. 26.

"Being that we used to do markets and whatnot, we decided it would be cool to do one in our hometown or like a local area, which brought about Ageless Vintage Market," Felder said. "Throughout that, we created more connections with different people or just in the community and decided to do Ageless Vintage Market."

Old Skool Outfitters is a vintage shop located at 929 Gervais Street that opened in August. It aims to make older and used attire sustainable and available for its customers, according to its website.

Establishing community connections is also important to Old Skool Outfitters, store manager Liam Martin said. 

"There are established resellers, markets and people that really care about what we're doing, so we feel like we already have a little bit more of a piece here," Martin said. "There's knowledge, community and love already built into the city and vintage thrives here, with or without us. "

Much of the success and failure of businesses in Five Points revolves around increasing numbers of young customers, Martin said. 

"There's a vintage community, but there are other communities as well, and a lot of that revolves around the university and the youth and just what people are doing," Martin said. "I would say people that are struggling to maintain a business here are probably struggling to tap into the student population."

The seasonal demand from college students influences businesses catering to locals in the area to keep a consistent customer flow year-round. Felder said he and his co-workers began their vintage markets closer in the summertime when college students were away.

"We decided to just get out in the community and connect with the people that are already here, which are the locals at that point, so once college students came back, they'd already know or say 'OK cool, I see what's going down in the community,'" Felder said. 

Although Columbia has an abundance of businesses that cater to younger people, Five Points clothing store The OOPS Company sells business casual attire to older and younger demographics, store manager Robbin Hamilton said.

"The youth do shop here, absolutely, but it just seems like I see more of the college kids when it's parent's weekend, or if they're coming for a football game," Hamilton said. "I was a little bit shocked when on a day-to-day basis, I wasn't seeing more college kids."

Five Points staple Loose Lucy's has catered to young shoppers since its conception in the early 1990s. It tends to provide many vibrant and distinctive colors and styles to its customers. 

McAllister said there is a variety of fashion-related stores in Five Points that she chooses to support. She said Five Points provides for various occasions and styles. 

"I think if you put your business down here, your hope is that you're going to attract the younger college age, but you know, not everyone at the university obviously wants to dress the same way," McAllister said. 

Five Points does provide fashion primarily for young adults, but businesses that cater to older demographics have also succeeded.  Uniquely MC, a company that designs and sells handbags, is an example of providing for older audiences, Executive Director of Five Points Association Heather McDonald said.

"We have an eclectic bunch of merchants," McDonald said. "We have folks that cater to all different kinds of style, taste, preference and age, which I think that makes it (Five Points) really special."

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McDonald graduated from USC in 2000 with a degree in retail and management. She said her studies help keep her customers in mind and what can be improved in the Five Points area.

"There's just things that stick out in my mind, even when I shop just as a regular patron," McDonald said. "So I'm always out, seeing things that I think would work well in Five Points or just art that kind of would fit in with our vibe that's down here. So that's what I like to do, and then I just pass it along to the economic development office and see if they've got some sort of connection with that."

The City of Columbia Economic Development Office collaborates with the Five Points Association through site visits around Five Points and funding for new spacing or other projects for businesses in the area.  They also help new businesses opening up in the Five Points area with entry and help businesses create partnerships, according to its website.  

With USC enrollment records being broken year after year, along with the growth of businesses across the Columbia area, Hamilton said Five Points continues to stand out as an attraction for people to visit. 


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