Students Arrive, Coathanger Shortage Ensues

by Julia Hollingsworth | 4:00 am 18/05/2010

Thousands of students arrived in Dunedin last week, much to the excitement of local businesses. Over 20 000 students are enrolled at the University of Otago, many of whom have come from out of town. A large proportion of these students came into the city within a two-day period over the weekend of February 20 and 21.

Air New Zealand used bigger-capacity planes and introduced more flights to cater for the masses of inbound students. Despite the increase in numbers over the last two weeks, John McCall of the Dunedin Airport said the arrivals have been problem-free.

However, a Kiwi Shuttles employee described the airport as chaos. He was disgruntled that airport staff had redirected many of the students, most of who did not have shuttle bookings, to the more expensive Super Shuttle company, with whom the Airport have a contract. 

Sales increased dramatically for a number of local businesses. Robyn Elliman of Butterflies op-shop said that togas (or white sheets) had sold out on Monday last week. “We’re in party mode at the moment. We save up army gear and sheets all year for parties so students are guaranteed to find what they want.”

Last week was madness at Kmart, where they sold out of coat hangers, rubbish bins, clothes airers, and laundry baskets. Nigel McCleery says that Kmart sells ten times its normal volume of these items within the Orientation Week period. “We get a double order every year, but it’s still not enough.”

Bed Bath and Beyond has had a similar problem, selling out of quality duvet inners and washing baskets. “It’s up there, it’s one of the better weeks,” an employee told Critic. She noticed that lots of parents were paying for their children’s goods. 

Surprisingly, the influx of students hasn’t had as impressive an impact on alcohol sales. Liquor Land says that sales are up on this time last year because of their barbeque marketing, which she said brings in the first-year students.  Surpisingly, however sales during Orientation Week are not dramatically different from sales during the rest of the year.

Otago students make up approximately one fifth of the total population of Dunedin.

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