It's never too late to do some back-to-school shopping.
Hundreds of alumni coming back to campus this weekend will be greeted by, among other things, a bookstore revamped for their return.
Penn Bookstore recently underwent its second and last phase of renovations, the "finishing touches" on the hub for books, clothing and school supplies, Business Services spokeswoman Barbara Lea-Kruger said.
The first phase was completed over the summer.
Bookstore customers can now admire new blue and white canopies on the storefront and murals displaying students participating in Penn traditions like Hey Day on the ground level.
During Homecoming weekend, the Bookstore typically sees three times the business it gets on a regular weekend, Penn Bookstore manager Lew Clapps said.
But this weekend, business should boom even more as Penn President Amy Gutmann prepares to publicly launch the University's most recent fundraising effort tomorrow.
"We're expecting more than three times this homecoming with the announcement of the capital campaign," Clapps said.
In order to prepare for foot traffic this weekend, staff have slightly reorganized the store.
"Extra space has been allotted to improve the traffic flow, additional couches have been installed and cash registers have been added to effectively manage the increased number of customers," Kruger said.
Specifically for Homecoming, the Bookstore will take 20 percent off anything purchased from the new line, The Penn Collection.
The line is located in the "Alumni Shop" section and features different styles of polo shirts, button-down dress shirts, blazers, sweater vests and ties for men.
The Penn Collection "has only been on the floor for about 10 days," Clapps said, adding that this weekend will be a good measure of the line's success, since it was designed to appeal to alumni customers.
The Bookstore will hold special business hours this weekend, opening one hour early on both days. It will be open Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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