With a vengeance.

Sold tons of critters and terrariums this week, and almost all of my pothos and plectranthus starts.

UGH yes they are back here at UF this weekend. Traffic. Traffic accidents. Most college kids here aren't interested in gardening, they are interested in partying

Humboldt, that's great! i hope you're happy with how you stocked up for it.

Gina1960 said: UGH yes they are back here at UF this weekend. Traffic. Traffic accidents. Most college kids here aren't interested in gardening, they are interested in partying

Smaller town here so we notice the traffic spike also.

When parents are visiting and during the first week of school I avoid driving in town.

They get confused by one-way streets and roundabouts.

But when the students get here they buy lots of stuff:)

sallyg said: Humboldt, that's great! i hope you're happy with how you stocked up for it.

Hey:)

Always happy with plant sales.

Going for a bunch of Plectranthus starts tomorrow, we got wiped out.

Great terrarium plant, super easy to start.

We always have at least 4-6 critter tanks with it in high humidity and great lighting so there's no shortage.

That's great. UF is a well known party school. I suppose there are some kids who have deeper interests LOL.
Move in was this weekend it was horrible. Its like a switch flips here...one minute you can get anywhere, eat anywhere, park anywhere and the next day its almost gridlock. UF has almost 50,000 students, then we have another Community College,Santa Fe, that enrolls almost 30,000. Santa Fe is largely a commuter school so it contributes hella to the traffic problems here.

Gator Growl, now that gets crazy!

We stay home lol

When they're paying customers, being glad to see them come back makes a lot of sense. Best luck with the sales!

Humboldt State is about as opposite from a Florida party school as you can get.

When my daughter attended, she used to get crazy at four-way stops in town (Arcata) where nobody would be the first to go — all the drivers kept gesturing to the others, "you go ahead; no YOU go; please, I insist, YOU go" as traffic stood still behind then

That was 20 years ago, maybe it's changed. Then, Arcata felt like the Town Time Forgot. Refreshing.

purpleinopp said: When they're paying customers, being glad to see them come back makes a lot of sense. Best luck with the sales!

Indeed:)

It's love/hate thing.

They come in big groups and occasionally steal, so trying to watch them all is a b*tch.

Often really stoned and wander around the store for 30 minutes with products in their hands they eventually put back or pocket. Switching between 36 interior security cameras gets old quickly and has an impact on my orders placed/received, inventory issues, bookkeeping, etc.

Or they just want to hold every snake and lizard and bird like a petting zoo while taking pictures.
Can eat up an employee's time for 45 minutes they would've been on the floor or register. Then they leave without making a single purchase...

Luckily most are awesome people who become regular customers for several years, and a lot have credit or debit cards they aren't responsible for paying.

2 reptile sales this weekend for well over $1000 combined.

Critter, substrate, heat and UVB bulbs, light fixtures, terrarium and hide (cave) and food/water dishes, plants...

So yes, glad to see them back:)

NMoasis said: Humboldt State is about as opposite from a Florida party school as you can get.

When my daughter attended, she used to get crazy at four-way stops in town (Arcata) where nobody would be the first to go — all the drivers kept gesturing to the others, "you go ahead; no YOU go; please, I insist, YOU go" as traffic stood still behind then

That was 20 years ago, maybe it's changed. Then, Arcata felt like the Town Time Forgot. Refreshing.

20 years ago was just after I got my second BA from there.
Still the same, give or take, but it's definitely changed.

Now that four-way stop will be one person blowing through it, a second cutting everyone else off but then waiting 20 seconds for a pedestrian with the right-of-way using the crosswalk, a third wondering what the hell is going on and not budging an inch.

And me. Holding both my open hands up in what must be a universal WTH gesture.

Wed/Thurs is my weekend but yes, sales are way up, and shoplifting is way up!

shoplifting UUGGHHH!!!

sallyg said: shoplifting UUGGHHH!!!

Agreed.

Such a waste of time for those of us watching the cameras instead of working on incoming/outgoing orders, bookkeeping, growing plants:) etc...

Yesterday was the first day of classes for CPP too. Same issues with 4-way stops and inattentive pedestrians. And no-one can find any of the buildings by number. Doesn't help that Building 2 and 7 are next to each other and Building 8 is on the other side of 3. Of course 74 and 56 are next to each other.

sallyg said: shoplifting UUGGHHH!!!

Over my weekend a young kid (~17?) asked where a certain kind of canned dog food was.

Grabbed a couple and acted very nonchalantly until he slipped out the door with his friend and the canned food, and then ignored my employee asking for them back.

Their phones could've feed a dog for years.

And dealing with them cut into care time for our planted critter terrariums.

Don't they go to jail? That's what would happen here.

purpleinopp said: Don't they go to jail? That's what would happen here.

Nope.

That would require the police showing up in time.

Even if we called them the second we saw a theft occur, the thief would be long gone before the police showed up.

It sounds like it would be tough to have a store at all in that kind of situation. Do the other stores have the same problem?