North Central bookstore moves to new downtown Naperville site
The North Central College bookstore will have a new store in downtown Naperville starting Oct. 18 to give shoppers an easier way to buy Cardinal apparel and gifts and learn more about the college's storied history. The bookstore will open for business at 100 E. Jefferson Ave.
“It puts North Central College's name right there on the edge of downtown, says Paul Loscheider, the college's vice president for business affairs.
The bookstore's new location gives the college a street-level retail presence and moves it from the basement of the Harold and Eva White Activities Center, 325 E. Benton Ave. The new 4,000-square-foot space provides more area to display items as well as additional room for storage. This space allows the bookstore to house more goods such as gift items, North Central College apparel and a larger convenience section, which includes snacks and drinks. This expanded inventory will provide more options for holiday shoppers trying to find an exceptional gift.
The move gives the store “better exposure and a more relaxed, comfortable shopping experience, says Lilian Knight, bookstore manager.
As the college approaches its 150th anniversary, several books about the College are available for purchase at the bookstore, including “A College in its Community by Chuck Savage, “North Central College History of Athletics and “A.A. Smith House: A Treasure Trove of History, a Gift from the Heart. Exhibits from the College's archives also will be displayed in the store.
Shoppers also will have more time to browse the store with new hours extending from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. The new bookstore location also offers shopper parking in a North Central College lot immediately west of the one-story brick building at the southwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and Ellsworth Street.
To prepare for the move, the bookstore will close at the end of the business day on Thursday, Oct. 14, to allow time to relocate stock.
A formal dedication will take place on Friday, Oct. 22, during the college's Homecoming Weekend celebration.
The bookstore's expanded hours during Homecoming are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21 and Friday, Oct. 22; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24.
North Central College's bookstore is affiliated with the Follett Higher Education Group.