Many positives have come from the new and improved spirit shop, which is now located at the end of the math hallway.

The spirit shop/merchandising director, Miss Emma Peebles, said she has been satisfied with the move. Peebles said, “It’s been great. We’re very excited about how things have gone so far.” She noted that the new location has resulted an increase in customers over the last few weeks, although she could not provide specific numbers.

One of the features of the new facility are the display windows that face the hallway. Peebles said these provide a way to show off new apparel. “I feel like it’s a really good tool to market the items (and) to show what’s new and available in the spirit shop, as things are always changing,” Peebles said.

As Peebles provided an the overview of the facility, she said, “One advantage is we have a private entrance exclusive to the spirit shop from the parking lot, so customers can directly enter and don’t have to go throughout the school.” She said that the entrance is both convenient and secure and makes it easier for parents to access the facility.

“Another advantage is there’s more space. (The new spirit shop is) I would assume double, if not more, in size than the old shop,” Peebles said. The bookstore/spirit shop had been located in the back corner of the cafeteria in the basement of Kelly Hall.

The new spirit shop now includes dressing rooms. Peebles said, “When it comes to carrying uniform pants, which is a new addition, (the dressing rooms) give the customer more certainty and they feel they can make a purchase confidently, knowing they don’t have to exchange it for a different size.”

As is the case in any retail store, some items are more popular than others. Peebles noted that the hoodies have sold especially well this winter.

Another popular item that has been selling fast in the shop are the football State champion apparel. Peebles noted that Giraffe-X Graphics provided the design.

The new location also has resulted in new hours of operation. Peebles said, “We tried to shift those hours a little more to accommodate to both parents who are working and want to come after their shift, or to students who can come at the end of the day,” Peebles said.

While winter is slowly coming to an end, the spirit shop will start carrying some new spring apparel and items, such as baseball hats, bucket hats, T-shirts and other gear for warmer weather. To buy these and any other items, including the ever-present and popular Pop-Tarts, the bookstore accepts Apple Pay, cash, checks and debit and credit cards.

To find out more information about the new spirit shop, check out their Instagram: @cathedralspiritshop