New bookshop for Auckland Uni
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 21 June 2018
University of Auckland’s ubiq bookshop has reopened its doors following a long period of renovation.
Last night, more than 50 people attended the opening party to celebrate both the refurbished store and the launch of the
recently-released brand, ubiq, which has replaced the old brand, University Bookshop.
The Auckland University store has undergone more than a year of transformation, with a complete change in the store
layout, and a cleaner, brighter, more modern design.
“We’re so excited to reopen our Auckland University store; it’s better than ever before. Our business started more than
50 years ago with the Auckland campus store, so there’s something really nice about it being the first one we renovate
in line with the new brand,” ubiq Retail Manager Dan Mackay says.
The business started with a lease for a small amount of space from the university. Commonly referred to as the “army
huts,” the rent was initially just 500 pounds a year.
ubiq now has three stores in Auckland and sells books across New Zealand through its website.
The company changed its name from University Bookshop (also known as UBS) to reflect the fact that it's so much more
than a place to buy only uni textbooks.
“These days, it’s just as likely for us to have a young student buy from one of our bricks and mortar campus stores as
it is to have a retiree in Invercargill or Whangarei pop online to get what they need from us,” Mackay says.
“The name ‘ubiq’ is a nod to our past and 'iq' is what we do — sell smarts. It's also a play on the word 'ubique' which
means 'here and everywhere' in Latin — I believe good books can take you here and everywhere.”
“Our goal is to be the absolute very best provider of reading material for every stage of our customer’s lives: from
their first book to the most technical, in depth material and everything in between; whether for education, work, or
pleasure.”
Last night’s opening event was attended by ubiq’s key suppliers and publishers, university heads of departments and
senior staff, and others that have a close relationship with the business.
ENDS