The quality of shopping on the Square may depend on the success of Ole Miss football.
Business owners on the Square say they enjoy huge revenue boosts from Rebel football weekends that keep many of their businesses alive.
“The difference is athletics, in general, but especially the influx brought by football is tremendous in our store,” said Landry’s owner Stan Shanks about the additional customers visiting the Square on game weekends.
Shanks estimated that football weekends can generate up to four times the amount of revenue brought in on an ordinary weekend in his store.
Retailers are not alone in noting an increase in customers around Oxford on home game weekends.
Many students and Oxford residents try their best to avoid the rush during home weekends and prefer not to even go out on the Square.
Sophomore biology major Boomer Preston said that he likes to avoid crowds and what he thinks are higher prices.
“I honestly don’t really like going out on football weekends,” Preston said. “The prices are high and it’s way too crowded.”
Preston believes businesses know that football weekends attract more people through their doors.
“They know the people are in town and they’re going to make money,” he said.
Freshman accountancy major James Heslin commented on prices on football weekends as well.
“Being used to downtown Athens, (Ga.,) covers at bars are unheard for me,” said Heslin. “And when a bar tries to charge me 20 dollars to go in there’s no reason to even go out.”
Although this season’s schedule stacks home games beginning this month, business owners nonetheless expect a successful season of sales.
Shanks says it won’t make much of a difference when the customers come, just as long as they arrive.
“We have six games to look forward to in October and November, so it’s going to make up for the lack of games in September this year,” Shanks said.
