The Dopplle Swap Shop event at SB campus, being run for the third time, was the most successful of the week in terms of pure numbers.  Based on a proven formula, with the Nest as it’s location, this event showed why brand recognition is the key to successful long-term growth of student numbers.

When we arrived at SB at 4pm we were able to park close to the Nest by the Costcutter store.  Following an initial incident where the leg fell off one of the rails (black mark for Amazon’s own brand of rail!), we were able to work with Gail, her RAs and members of the Guild to setup nearly 10 rails displaying over 500 items of clothing!  Setup was quick due to the historical events, although some changes were needed to accommodate both the extra clothes we brought but also the more extensive range of supporting items including two pop up tents and the purchasing till.

The event itself was immediately busy when it opened at 5pm, with many SB students already waiting with their clothes to swap. People were particularly pleased to see that they were still able to spend their unused Dopplle coins from previous events.  With a large selection of clothes laid out in a logical manner, and with sizing cubes (a new addition) helping guide people to the best items, some people did not leave for over an hour.  Another new option introduced at SB for the first time was the ability to pay for items with a card machine. This was an instant success as many people visited with their friends, who had no clothes to swap but found items they really wanted.

At the end of the swap shop everything was re-packed in our cars by 9:30pm with the help of the RAs who stayed until we returned the Nest to it’s original state.

In total 127 swaps were recorded, meaning on average an item of clothes changed hands every minute that the event was open between 5 and 7 pm!  We had five returning Dopplle users and 29 new users with 17 items of clothing being sold which was a first for Dopplle at Nottingham.  Finally our estimated engagement with the brand was 60 students meaning that every  two minutes a student was exposed to Dopplle and swap shops.

The SB swap shop shows that to get growth with any event, you have to continue to run them on a regular basis with a forward plan of advertising and general marketing.  It is recommended that a swap shop week is run at Nottingham every term, with co-ordination between the accommodation and campuses, ensuring that it becomes a regular part of the ResX and student social calendar.